The Dragon and the Wolf
by Claret Tho
Summary: When Jake gets a new neighbour in Selena Tyler it's immediatly clear that she's more than what she looks like. But he didn't anticipate the laughs nor the trouble she brings with her. OC Alert! Sorry Rose/Jake fans, not in this story! SEQUEL IS UP! The Dragon, The Wolf and The Hunter!
1. Prologue Moving and New Neighbours

_I know that my character is a werewolf but I've based her more on Werewolves from the film Underworld starring Kate Beckinsale than I have on Twilight werewolves. I've also named my character after the main character in Underworld. _

_Anyway, I know people on alerts for me must be thinking I have no right to be starting a new story when I have two unfinished already and a sequel that needs starting but I've had this knocking around in my computer for ages just begging to be published. So here it is and I hope people enjoy this. _

XxXxX

My name is Selena, I am seventeen years old and I live with my sister and nephew. Me and my sister are of British origin but we moved to America about ten years ago as a family, my nephew is half British half American.

There is also something else you should know. My sister and I are only half siblings. Somehow, my father was what mortals would call a werewolf. Technically they are actually called Lycanthromorphic beings but werewolf is a much simpler name.

I am half mortal-half lycanthropic and I have been all my life but transforming only came at puberty. The moon doesn't make any different to my transformations; I can do it at will. I have hyper-sensitive senses of hearing and smell which makes public transport travelling near impossible. I can also communicate with most canine beings and any animal that happens to know any canine, the language, though, is very primitive and it's easy to make mistakes and misunderstand. I have never met my father nor do I have any interest in him.

But this is the story of how I came to meet the American Dragon so I'll get on with it.

I hated getting up, especially early and I especially hated getting up early on a Saturday. I groaned as my sister, Emily shook my arm to get me up, early, on Saturday.

'Come on honey. Time to get up' She said softly

I groaned and sat up, rubbing my hair from my face tiredly. My sister left the room but my nephew, Nicholas wandered in, clearly having been woken himself. I pulled the small child up onto my bed and he snuggled under the covers. His cold toes brushed against my leg and I fought the urge to shudder.

My dog, a large white Alsatian named Snowy (Don't blame me for the unimaginative name; Nicholas named her) laid next to the guinea pig cage which contained my sleeping male guinea pig Buck. I understood the basics of his language such as when he was greeting me, when he was happy and when he was un happy but that was as far as it stretched. I found it much harder to try and learn other animal's languages seeing as Canine came naturally.

Morning cuddles were a tradition now between the two year old and I. I was eighteen years old, my sister twenty four. Our mother had been absent from our lives for two years now due to a cancer diagnosis. It had been an aggressive liver cancer and it had taken her just six months so succumb to it. Emily had been devastated, she had hoped our mother would make it to see Nicholas born; she'd only been two months away from birth.

But Emily had her father, my mother had obviously had an unfortunate attraction to men with no commitment and they had split up when Emily was young but he'd been in her life and treated her as a father should with what he had which was more than I could say for my own father. When I had been young it had made me envious but as I'd gotten older he'd treated me as fairly as he could, included me where it had been appropriate and made me feel a little bit more adequate as a child.

I pushed the negative thoughts away and looked down at Nicky, dropping off to sleep again. I smoothed his light blonde hair and kissed the top of his head before getting out of bed and picking him up. I supported him on my hip and his head lolled against my shoulder.

I wandered into the kitchen and plonked him into his highchair. I fixed him some breakfast and watched while he messily fed himself. Snow wandered downstairs and I put food in her bowl. Emily came in, having freshened up and got dressed. She thanked me and I took Snow outside to let her do her morning business after she nosed me and showed me an image of the garden. I took her back upstairs and went off for a shower after I fed Buck who had woken up and started squeaking for food.

I stood under the hot spray for what felt like ages. I only relented and got out when the water began to run cold. I dressed quickly and threw my hair into a pony tail. I went back into the kitchen to find Emily putting some light makeup on and Nicky still feeding himself...messily. Snow was in the living area on her bed.

'It's not fair' Emily sighed 'You don't need a spot of makeup'

'That's because I don't wear it often Em' I replied

We spent the rest of the morning getting last minute things packed up, taking down Nicky's small cot, taking down our own beds and preparing for the moving van to arrive. Emily and Nicky had been living in a small apartment; I'd been living with our mother, only two streets away. We'd found a house in the city near a school for me to complete my last year of education. Emily had got a job in an office block pushing paper and we'd found a childminder to take care of Nicky for us.

A sharp knock at the door brought me back to attention. Emily opened the door to reveal two burly looking men.

'Moving?' one simply asked

'Yes, come in' Emily said

They both stared at her as they passed. Her obvious British accent had caught their attention but she was very pretty as well, tall with dark hair, crystalline blue eyes and curvy but in all the right places. Our mother had also had dark hair, blue eyes but a short frame with a small figure. I was nearly opposite to them being quite short with dark blonde hair, green eyes and more of a skinny figure. Both of us had a dusting of light freckles across our nose and cheekbones.

It didn't take long for them to load the large items in the van. Emily and I loaded Nicky, Buck and Snow into the car and led the van to the new house. It was a fifteen minute trip from the old apartment to the new house. Throughout the journey, Snow kept on sending me feelings of excitement and images of what she anticipated the house to look like.

Unfortunately she had been hoping for something beyond what we pulled up in and I bit back a chuckle at her image of jokey disappointment. I communicated happiness at just being together and she agreed. The house was pretty close the park and on a street lined with tall narrow houses.

Our new house was very pretty but it needed some work doing. We got the van unpacked and the boxes out of the car. As we unpacked I shoved Snow out into the small and quite overgrown back garden after checking it was secure and telling her she'd prefer that to being under everyone's feet and possibly getting her paws trodden on. She heartily agreed and went loping around the garden. I

selected my room and put Buck inside it and Snow's bed next to the cage. They always slept next to each other.

I noticed the house next door seemed to be teeming with activity. An old Asian Chinese man with a wrinkled dog came and went quite often, as well as a tall Asian Indian woman and a young Asian Chinese girl. A small but curvy Asian Chinese woman came and went too.

Strange scents wofted from the house when the doors opened and I kept onj picking up odd snippets of conversation but I quickly tuned it out. The smells however; I couldn't and I quickly became uncomfortable. It was like nothing I'd ever scented and it began to distract me as I tried to identify what I was getting.

The unfamiliar scents of a house that had been lived in by another family put me about a bit as it usually did but I knew this would get better the longer we lived there and laid down our own smells.

'Selena, I'm going back to the apartment to pick up the last of the boxes' Emily said, breaking me out of my thoughts 'Keep an eye on Nicky for me'

I simply nodded and took Nicky from her. She kissed him goodbye on the top of his head and got in the car. I went inside the house; let Snow back inside (she sent me a feeling of gratitude) and decided to try and tidy things up a bit but a small child soon made it impossible. I pulled all the shrink wrap off the sofa and sat him on it with a few of his toys.

The kitchen seemed to be in between the dining room and living room and was very small. I opened up all the cupboards and was pleasantly surprised to find them clean. I unpacked some of the kitchen stuff, putting glasses and mugs away in one cupboard, plates in another and putting our cutlery rack in one of the drawers.

The front door opening caught my attention and Emily announced her arrival.

'Honey, I'm back!'

'Mama' Nicky shouted happily

'We are officially moved in!' Emily said happily, picking up her son for a cuddle as he waddled to her.

'We're moved in when we unpack the boxes Em' I teased

'Well go and fetch them in then Selena, and then it'll make the process go quicker' Emily teased.

I picked a cushion off the sofa as I passed and threw it gently at her, seeing as she was holding Nicky.

I went out to the car to fetch a box. I was opening the boot and taking out a box when three teenagers caught my attention. One was a girl and two were boys. The girl walked in the middle and was holding hands with one of the boys. The one on the end caught my attention the most because he was openly staring at me. He was of Asian Chinese origin too so I figured he must be a new neighbour.

I picked up the box and shut the boot. I took my eyes off him and carried the box up the front path. I glanced back and I realised for some reason I'd caught the attention of all three of them. Discreetly, I took a deep inhale through my nose but found to my disappointment I was downwind and couldn't identify anything from that.

I turned my back to them and went up the front steps and opened the door and got inside but before I shut the door behind me I looked back at the three teenagers. They were still watching me.

I slammed the front door shut and went into the living room. I dumped the box down. Emily came in too.

'Goodness me Selena! Why on earth did you just slam the door like that?'

'Sorry, something just unnerved me a bit' I replied

Emily looked at me carefully but decided to drop the matter.

'Will you help me put Nicky's cot up? I think he'll need a nap soon' Emily asked

We put the cot up and managed to settle Nicky down for a nap. We put our beds up and our wardrobes. Snow wandered around and came in and out of my room. She either nosed me in the face or bumped her nose on Buck's cage and disturbed him, making him squeak shrilly.

We hadn't got much furniture to put up. Emily had never owned a dining room so she didn't have tables and chairs and we'd sold our mothers and most everything else she'd owned except for a few sentimental things.

A cabinet which had been filled with all her best dishes and silver had been kept and we put it all in the empty dining room. Emily had insisted on keeping her jewellery and I'd managed to get my hands on some of her ceramic, porcelain and glass figurines.

The figurines were of fairies, and dragons but there was one that particularly caught my attention and had always been my favourite. It was a wolf, sat with it's head lifted to bay at the moon (I liked to imagine that's what it was howling at anyway). It was made completely of crystal and when the sun shone on it the room was swathed in dazzling light.

I put them all on my windowsill carefully, situating the glass wolf in the centre. I made my bed and put all my clothes in the wardrobe. Our bathroom was small and cramped but the water ran clean and the best thing was that the boiler didn't run out of hot water.

Nicky woke up and we made a small meal. I fed Snow too, having to leave her bowl in the kitchen and try to ignore her displeasure of being made to eat separately to us. Emily and I ate off trays as usual and Nicky sat in his highchair.

'I'm going to go and pick up some proper food tomorrow' Emily said 'And go and visit the childminder. What are you going to do?'

'Explore a little bit. The park is nearby, I'd like to see that and I can take Snow for a walk' I replied

Emily nodded 'That's fine by me. Do you want me to leave you some money? There's a few attractions in Central Park'

'No, that's fine. I might go and see if there are any jobs going myself actually. I can't scrounge off you'

Emily sighed 'Honey, you know if I wouldn't have taken you in if I couldn't afford you'

'But there's Snow and Buck too now. That's three you took in!'

'I chose to. Besides it's not like it's just my money that pays. Pete pays a small sum into my account every month' Emily replied

I'd forgotten about Pete, Emily's marine boyfriend. The one who spent most of the year out of the country.

'Can't forget about good ol' Pete' I replied sarcastically

Emily put her tray down next to her and eyed me carefully but calmly.

'Do you really want to have an argument Selena?' she asked

Nicky made a whiny noise. He hated it when we argued.

I sighed 'No I don't'

'Good'

Emily soothed him and we spent the rest of the evening hooking up the tv and dvd player and entertaining Nicky.

When we finally went to bed I just collapsed and went to sleep.

XxXxX

_Please let me know what you're thinking about this people and any suggestions will be gladly noted. _

_So please review! _


	2. Chapter 1 Settling in a little bit

I woke up the next morning to Snow snoring. I looked at my clock and realised I'd overlaid. I got up, got Snow up and ran downstairs. I shoved her outside but she stood on the doorstep looking at me annoyed and also bombarded me with displeasure before I turned and found a note and a key taped to the fridge.

_You slept through your morning cuddle with Nicky you were so exhausted so I left you to sleep. Don't worry about feeding Snow or letting her out, I've already done it. Just take her for a walk and feed Buck. This is the spare key, DO NOT lose it before I get another cut for you._

_See you later! Emily xx_

_P.S- Be discreet too if you decide to have a transformation. I don't think a wolf sighting in the middle of New York would go down very well._

I pulled the note off and scrunched it up. I let Snow in and she gave me an indignant nip on my leg as she passed. I followed her back upstairs and she settled back on her bed and watched Buck as he squeaked at me to be fed, which I did.

I raked my fingers through my hair and searched in one of the unpacked boxes and found my toiletries. I carried them off to the bathroom and showered and did other things a person must do in a morning before sorting my hair out.

I decided to give my eyelashes a coat of mascara before I dressed in a simple long sleeved beige top and dark brown skinny jeans. I put some boots on before digging Snow's lead out.

She jumped up right away, yipping excitedly not even bothering with mental images. I managed to get her to calm down before clipping the lead on her, pulling the key off the fridge and heading out, locking the door behind me.

It didn't take me long to find the park. It was full of families enjoying the last few days of the summer holidays before their children went back to school. I walked around the woody bits so I could sneakily let Snow off her lead.

I also transformed down, enjoying the freedom of running quickly on four legs, being able to sniff things in the park. My Lycanthropic form wasn't like most would imagine and most imagine a hairy person with a long dog face. I transformed into a full wolf with fur that matched my hair. It was also easier to communicate with Snow like this and we ran together happily.

I couldn't shake the feeling of being followed though but every time I looked around, I couldn't see anyone. Snow seemed to have a similar feeling because she kept close and barked at everything that moved.

I found a stick and tried to initiate a game of tug and war with it and get us both at ease but she wouldn't play properly and I couldn't concentrate. In the end I morphed back to being human, clipped Snow back on the lead and we ran home.

I shut the door and locked it behind us. Emily and Nicky still weren't home. I put the tv on to try and distract myself. I felt better now I was home and Snow also relaxed a bit.

'Creepy' I muttered

Snow trudged upstairs and I heard her nose my bedroom door open. I heard Buck squeak faintly at her, no doubt Snow was trying to tell him about what had happened in the park.

A few hours later Emily came home, her arms full of groceries. I helped her unpack everything. Nicky wandered around and Snow came down and greeted everyone. At some point she passed me and wofted an unfamiliar scent on her clothes towards me. I stopped and sniffed at her slightly. She rolled her eyes and shoved me away, not nastily but making a point.

'Stop it! Stop acting like a dog!' She exclaimed

I gave her a toothy grin 'Can't help it, you smell funny' I stuck my tongue out at her

'I met the neighbours today' Emily said in explanation.

'Oh, the Asian family?' I asked

'Yeah, the older woman is Susan Long, her husband is American and he's called Jonathan, she has two children too. A boy your age and a younger daughter' Emily said

'I'm not being funny, but how does an American man give his family on oriental sounding name?' I asked

'I don't know, she's invited us for dinner tonight though' Emily said

I frowned 'If their house is the same as ours, won't it be a bit cramped with seven people inside?'

'It's summer, they're having a barbeque. I think it was very nice of her to consider us. She was excellent with Nicky' Emily said 'So are you going to come or not?'

I hesitated, normally I would've said yes without hesitating but the way the boy and his friends stared at me yesterday had put me on edge to be meeting him again. I opened my mouth to say no thanks but the pleading look in Emily's eyes made me change my mind.

'Yeah, okay' I said, hoping I wouldn't regret it.

'Thank you honey, I didn't want to go alone' Emily said

'You would've had Nicky' I replied

'He's two'

'Touché'

I went upstairs and pulled on a hoodie and tidied my hair up a bit, pulling it into a high pony tail. I normally kept it tied up anyway. I powdered my face off a bit and then put a bit more mascara on.

I wasn't looking forward to going into an unfamiliar house, especially one that made so many unusual smells I couldn't even identify. I hated all the different scents of a new house at the best of times and then I hated coming home with my clothes smelling like them.

It wasn't long before Emily was ushering me next door though. I'd insisted on taking Snow with us, knowing she'd stick with me anyway but she tended to make me feel more secure. Emily supported Nicky on her hip while I led Snow on her lead.

Susan Long opened the door when we knocked. I resisted wrinkling my nose at the overwhelming and sudden fiery and spicy kind of smell that billowed out of the door and hit me like a head-long run into a brick wall. I instead focused on the woman in the doorway. She was very pretty with a smooth bob, curvy figure similar to Emily's (I was starting to wonder if this was something women got after having babies) and dark glittering eyes.

'Come in'

She ushered us inside, greeting Emily by clasping her gently on the arm, greeting Nicky by tickling his chin and then she turned to me.

'You must be Selena, I'm Susan Long' She introduced herself

I shook her hand and she chattered away at me pleasantly. She scrunched Snow's ears and insisted I let her off her lead.

'We're on the back garden. My father has his dog with him' Susan said

She led us out to a far neater garden than ours. A few chairs had been set up and the family was already out there. The small Asian man I had noticed was there with his dog sat beside him.

Snow and the other dog approached each other politely and sat down next to one another, nudging each other gently with their noses before she got up to follow me. Emily and I found ourselves being introduced to various members of Susan's family.

There was her husband, Jonathan, who was positively dorky but very comical. I found to my surprise that he smelt quite normal as most humans did. Of things like fabric conditioner from his clothes and personal hygiene products with only a hint of the strange smell that was probably due to living in a house that smelt so strongly of it.

Her daughter, Hayley, was very sassy and brainy. She, unlike her father, carried a strong smell of the strange scent but it was on a slightly spicy level and reminded me slightly of chillies but it was masked with the smell of perfume and the two mixed weirdly. She immediately took a liking to Nicky and the feeling seemed mutual. She took the two year old in her arms, rested him on her hip and carried him around.

The old man introduced himself as Lao Shi, he had a very wise persona but I could tell he was a little aloof with new people. He carried a stronger sample of the smell but it smelt more like a bonfire. It wasn't entirely unpleasant and it wasn't a chore to be around him.

Finally, the son, who'd stared at me yesterday, also introduced himself.

'My name's Jake, I hope you'll like living in New York'

'Very nice to meet you' Emily said politely before she was drawn into a conversation with Lao Shi and Jonathan.

That left Jake and I very awkwardly alone. Unfortunately because everyone was further away now all I could smell was him. The smell of hot coals and pure fire radiated off him. It seemed to surround me completely and every movement he made released a wave of scent. It wasn't unpleasant; in fact it was the exact opposite.

His scent was the first to stir my curiosity. He didn't smell like a regular human, in fact on hindsight, only Emily, Nicky and Jonathan smelt human. I suppose, looking back now, my curiosity was ignited over Jake was because his scent was the strongest, maybe it was because his scent was the one that appealed the most and that made me feel uncomfortable.

I think Snow could tell I was slightly uneasy because she stood close to my leg with her head low, she watched Jake closely. He scratched the back of his neck, sending another wave of his strong and heady scent at me. I switched to breathing through my mouth instead of my nose to try and get some relief.

'So, I'm sorry if I freaked you out the other day. You look a lot like someone I knew' Jake said

I looked at him with one eyebrow raised, letting his tenseness hang in the air slightly before giving him a small smile. Snow stood upright now too, she looked around at the other dag before wagging her tail and going over to him.

'No problem' I replied

We sat in chairs next to each other and chatted quietly. I found I was going to attend the same school which shouldn't have been much of a surprise seeing as it was the closest school. He seemed genuinely nice even if he did have a bit of a habit of showing off.

'How long have you been in America?' He asked

'About ten years but we were mostly down in California. We've been in the suburbs for nearly two years and coming in and out of the city' I explained

'Nearly the other side then! Do you like it in the city?' Jake asked

'It's like nothing I've ever seen to be honest. I thought California was out there but that was nothing compared to here but I do really like it' I replied

Jake nodded and genuinely seemed to be listening to me. While I spoke, I casually brushed my mental communication towards Lao Shi's dog. The contact immediately made me stiffen. Right away I could tell the dog wasn't an ordinary dog and the communication he used to tell me literally 'to get the hell out of my head kid' was way too advanced.

I did as he said immediately and backed off but my curiosity was well and truly stirred now. Who the hell was this family? With their odd smells and a dog that was clearly not just a dog. Unfortunately I seemed to have sparked his interest in return because he sniffed the air around me and circled a lot.

Jake also watched him curiously but soon seemed to forget about it and carry on his conversation with me.

The food was wonderful and was so much more satisfying than our meagre meal the night before. Everyone mixed together wonderfully and the conversation went smoothly. Not much personal information was given away about the family to my disappointment but then again neither me nor Emily gave anything away.

At some point Jake asked if I wanted to meet up before school during the week and meet his friends to see the city a bit. I tried to get out of it by saying someone had to look after Nicky while Emily was at work to which she dropped me in by saying Nicky was going to the childminders before term to give me some time to settle in.

I ended up agreeing and when I went home, as I thought it would, my clothes had absorbed his scent and it then polluted my bedroom. I went to bed that night wondering what the hell he was.


	3. Chapter 2 Adventures in Central Park

Nicky woke me up early the next morning for his cuddle so there was absolutely no way I could over lay meeting Jake at 11.30 later in the day.

Eventually Emily collected him and I did the new routine of opening the back door for Snow before getting her breakfast while she was outside. She seemed pleased with just coming inside and having her food waiting for her. I went upstairs and fed Buck before waving Emily and Nicky off.

I went in the shower, washed my hair and then tied it into the familiar ponytail. I dusted powder on my face, slicked a light layer of mascara on my eyelashes and then dressed in a pink tank with a white vest underneath it with denim shorts, my familiar cream hoodie and my black and pink babysham skater shoes.

I didn't skate personally but I had picked up on some surfing in California. Living by the sea sure had it's values. I scrunched Snow's ears with a goodbye and left the house. I jumped down the front steps and the only warning that I was about to crash into Jake was the fact that his scent hit my nose mid-leap.

As I predicted, I slammed into him bodily and sent us both sprawling across the pavement. Once I'd recovered I realised he'd got one arm wrapped around my waist and the other seemed to be protecting the back of my head from any impact it may have. I peeled myself off him quickly; brushing myself off.

'I'm so sorry Jake. I didn't even realise you were there' I stammered

'No worries' He groaned 'I don't often get tackled by pretty girls so well done'

I ignored his comment and offered him an arm. He took it and I pulled him up easily, realising after I'd done it, it probably hadn't been a very good move. He very calmly didn't even bat an eyelid.

'Sooo my two friends Trixie and Spud can't make it. Trixie's Dad is in town and he only gets a short amount of time off before he gets deployed again and Spud has to work in his Mom's restaurant' Jake paused, his hands in his pockets 'It's just us'

'Okay' I agreed easily 'What did you have in mind?'

'I'm assuming you've seen most places anyway seeing as you've been coming in and out of New York for awhile but have you been to the natural history museum?' He asked

I blinked in surprise, not having him down as the museum type. I shook my head.

'No, I've never been in there' I said

'Well, you're in for a treat then. Come on it's on the other side of the park so we've got quite a walk' Jake said with a smirk

I nodded and followed him. We chattered as we walked. Now that I'd gotten used to him and things weren't awkward, conversation between us flowed easily.

He revealed he'd been raised in New York all his life with his parents and his sister. He seemed to have spent an awful lot of time with his Grandpa, Lao Shi and his two friends he had mentioned.

'Are you close then?' I asked

'Yeah, we're pretty tight me and my Gramps. Trixie and Spud have always got my back too, they're the best friends anyone could've wanted' Jake said

I smiled

'What about you?' Jake asked 'You and your sister seem good'

'Oh yeah, I don't think I could live without her or Nicky in my life. I had a few friends in California but no one like what your friends sound like, I was close but I suppose I never really gelled with anyone' I replied

I was bracing myself for the inevitable question that had come to plague me whenever I met anyone new. But Jake didn't ask about my parents, he nodded his head politely and smiled. He asked about Nicky's Dad though.

'Pete' I paused 'I suppose he's good really, I mean, he supports Emily financially even though he doesn't have to because they're not married and gives her money towards Nicky. I just wish he had a job that allowed him to be here for her physically more often'

'What do you mean?' Jake asked

I sighed 'We lost our mother two years ago in spring and he couldn't get any time to come to support her, not to mention she was seven months pregnant with Nicky at the time too. He did wire her some extra money though and they allowed him home after she had Nicky but he missed the actual birth. In the end her Dad flew from England and helped with the arrangements and he chipped in a bit himself and came back when she had Nicky'

'Her Dad?' Jake asked

'Yeah her Dad' I replied

He didn't ask and I didn't tell. In the end he stopped and looked around. I watched him, an eyebrow raised.

'Isn't it a lovely day?' He asked

I raised both eyebrows once he said that 'Err, I suppose so'

'And we're gonna go to a museum. Uh uh, I don't think so. Why don't we go and fetch your dog instead and just walk in the park?' Jake asked

I lowered one eyebrow again and he smirked back at me. I shook my head and shrugged.

'If you think so. Wait here, I'll go and fetch her' I said

'Wait what?' Jake asked

'It's not far' I replied

I turned and took off at a jog. It's didn't take me long to get back but just as I shoved the key in the lock I had the urge to look around. It felt like someone had been staring at the back of my neck. I couldn't see anyone though and I pushed the door open and Snow greeted me.

She picked up on my anxiety immediately and peered out of the gap in the door while I fetched her lead. I clipped her onto it and left the house, locking the door before taking off down the street.

Snow jogged by my side happily as I quickly made it back to where I'd left Jake. He'd found a bench to sit on and he'd taken his jacket off in the sun. I found I'd gotten warm from the jog and I peeled my hoody off and tied it around my waist.

Jake looked up and smiled at me and reached down to pat Snow's head. Snow whose tongue was lolling from the jog, threw her head back into his hand.

'You know, in that wooded bit over there, there's a pond' Jake said, pointing.

I looked to where he was pointing and grinned, wondering if he was thinking what I was thinking.

'Snow might appreciate a swim' Jake said, confirming what I was wondering.

I smiled as Snow sent me feelings of approval. I nodded to Jake and he got up with a grin. We followed him into the secluded area and found a hidden glen in the clearing.

I looked around before unclipping Snow. She bounded straight to the pond and paddled in it. She sent feelings of gratitude, I smiled.

'She thinks it's great' I blurted without thinking

Jake looked at me oddly 'Say what?'

'Oh-well...isn't it obvious what she's thinking?' I asked

He raised an eyebrow at me and I shrugged. He turned to watch Snow who had her nose in the water and was happily blowing bubbles.

I sat down and peeled off my pumps and socks. I left them where I'd taken them off and stood up. I paddled a bit in the water, Snow bounded around me excitedly.

Jake stepped into the water a few minutes later and Snow bounded around both of us. I tramped around, laughing when Snow jumped up me and left two wet paw prints up my stomach. Jake laughed at me and I got an evil idea.

I bent down and dipped my hand into the water. Jake watched me carefully, twigging almost instantly to what I was doing.

'Aw hell no' He shouted playfully, retreating a few steps.

I cupped my hand and splashed water up him before turned around and sprinting off, spraying water up my legs. I turned to see what he was doing only to find he'd caught up with me and then he dumped a handful of water over my head. I shrieked and then bent to pick up a handful of leaves but Jake actually grabbed me around my middle and hoisted my easily off the ground.

His sudden proximity bathed me in his unique smell and I was momentarily stunned before I realised he was tickling me and I let out a peal of sudden laughter.

'For a second there I thought you weren't ticklish' Jake teased, placing me back on my feet.

I spun and gave him a playful thump and a grin. We spent the next couple of hours walking around a small area of the park. I'd had no idea of the size of it until now. I went home that afternoon exhausted with an equally exhausted dog.

Unfortunately my clothes, again, had Jake's scent all over them. I sighed in exasperation as I tipped them and last night's into the washing machine. Emily and Nicky came home just as I'd set it up and started looking around in the fridge for anything to make dinner with.

'Leena!' Nicky cried happily

I picked him up, and swung him around before settling him onto my hip. Emily bent and peered curiously into the washing machine.

'There's nowhere near a full load in there' She said, folding her arms.

'I'm sorry Em, I had to wash my clothes though' I replied

'Why?' She asked

I put Nicky down and he ran off into the living room to play with toys. I leaned against the sideboard and Emily looked at me curiously.

'Jake has a very odd smell about him I can't place but it's not normal for a human' I replied

'What do you mean? Like he doesn't bathe?' Emily asked

'No! It's not an unpleasant smell really, actually it's quite nice. But it's gotten into my clothes from yesterday and today and I can't think straight' I replied

Emily raised an eyebrow 'If it's nice, what's wrong with it?'

'I don't know, it's not natural though. Humans tend to smell like things like perfume, cologne, fabric soaps and personal hygiene products' I replied

'Well, don't want to sound pervy but what does Jake smell like?' Emily asked

I didn't hesitate in my reply 'Like pure fire or something. It's so intense'

I pulled out a chicken and all the veg to go with it. Emily was still leaning on the side and looking at me.

'I don't think I've ever seen you get so flustered about something like this' She commented

'Yeah, and you know the Shar Pei Susan's father had with him. I went to contact it and it said and I quote 'Get the hell out of my head kid'! In English I might add, not canine!'

Emily looked at me oddly 'What do you think then?'

'Why are you asking me?' I asked

'You're the wolf! Have you ever come across anything like this?'

'No, I haven't'

'What are you going to do?'

'Act like I don't know anything. I can;t go around revealing myself at the smallest little things. New York is a huge city and seeing as Werewolves actually do exist what's to say that other things don't? I can't go around drawing attention to myself' I replied

Emily nodded agreeably and didn't comment anymore on the matter.

XxXxX

A few streets away Jake Long was on the way to his Grandfather's shop for his usual dragon activities but taking up a huge piece of his concentration was the girl who'd moved in next door.

He still felt stupid for staring at her but she'd looked so much like Rose it had been uncanny. Looking back now the fact that her hair was darker, her skin was tanner and her eyes were green should've given it away but he hadn't been able to help himself.

At the barbeque dinner, she seemed flustered around him and her posture went stiff often, mostly whenever he moved come to think of it. She also seemed heavily distracted and her dog didn't seem to leave her alone. She had clearly been uncomfortable but Jake couldn't help himself and he invited her to meet up with him.

When she had the first thing she did had got him completely shocked, the way she'd managed to knock him clean off his feet and she felt like she should've been made of metal. Even though she had been flying through the air at high speed he was sure he should've been able to withstand her slight looking weight. Instead she'd knocked him over and then managed to hoist him to his feet. He knew most girls wouldn't be able to do that and he honestly thought if she felt like it, she could probably give him a good run for his money in a fight. Which was more than he could say for most.

He entered the shop and then tripped straight over Fu Dog in his distraction. The dog yelped in alarm before turning on him.

'Watch it kid!' He told him

Jake sat up and rubbed his elbow, his Grandpa stood next to him, watching in concern.

'Sorry Fu, I was kind of distracted' Jake apologised

'And what, young dragon, could have caused you to be so distracted?' Lao Shi asked

'It's Selena, you know the girl who's moved in next door' Jake said

Fu sat up straight 'Go on' he said

'Well, I don't think she's entirely human' Jake said uneasily

At this both Lao Shi and Fu had given Jake full attention.

'What do you mean?' Lao Shi asked

'Well she managed to knock me completely off my feet and then practically drag me back up all by herself. She doesn't look it but she's completely solid' Jake said

Lao Shi sat thoughtfully until Fu Dog put his hand up like a naughty child about to own up to something.

'I probably should've said sooner but she mentally contacted me at the dinner yesterday' Fu said 'In canine'

'What do you mean, in canine?' Jake asked

'Animals mostly speak in their own languages, cats speak felinese, dogs speak canine that sort of thing. Humans can't but she did' Fu explained

'I don't understand. Does that make her some sort of animal linguist or something?' Jake asked

'I'm not sure what it makes her young one but we'd best keep an eye on her' Lao Shi said, his voice and facial expression dark.

XxXxX

_Oooo, what's going to happen? I'm not sure yet, it's still a work in progress. Anyway, review please, it makes progress so much easier when you know people are actually paying attention._

_Thanks Major Simi for reviewing both previous chapters, and this chapter in it's original version (It didn't load the italic bit for some reason :/) *insert smiley face here*_


	4. Chapter 3 Starting School

_**Disclaimer**__- I don't own ADJL, but all OCs belong to me! _

XxXxX

'Selena, toast is here!' Emily's voice called up the stairs.

I'd been up for a few hours already helping her get Nicky ready for the day. I picked up my bag and went downstairs, Snow close at my heel.

'Thanks Em' I said, plonking myself down and grabbing some toast.

'How are you feeling then Emily asked, taking a sip of coffee

'Nervous I suppose, how else can I feel?' I shrugged

'Don't worry about it, you'll make friends easily enough' Emily said

'Yeah. It'll be fine, anyway Jake said he'd walk to school with me so I don't want to be late' I finished my toast, refusing to allow my nerves to get to me 'See you later'

'Good luck honey!' Emily called

I crouched by Snow, scrunching her ears and absorbing all her encouraging thoughts before I picked up my bag and left the house preparing to walk the three blocks to school.

Jake stood waiting at the bottom of the path. I remembered our previous collision with a cringe and went down the front steps to greet him.

'Morning there Lee' He grinned

I had gotten used to the nickname now he'd christened me with it a few days ago after hearing Nicky call me 'Leena'. Over the last week we'd hung out a lot but his friends had been busy. It had been me, him and Snow, unless we actually went somewhere dogs seriously couldn't go.

'Morning Jake' I greeted

We walked side-by-side, chatting casually until we nearly got the school. I dreaded schools. All the smells mingling and the noise. Emily had described the way her ears buzzed after spending a night in a club. My ears often felt like that after a day in a crowded place. It was the only place that could truly put me on edge and I stopped walking once we were in sight of the building. Jake took a few steps forward before realising I hadn't carried on and looked back.

'Lee?'

I stood frozen, looking ahead. He walked back and stopped in front of me. I looked up at him and he looked down sympathetically.

'What's up?' He asked

I struggled to find a decent answer without telling him about the smell and the noise 'I just don't like schools' I said

He sighed 'No one likes new places. Come on, it'll be fine. Filmore isn't such a bad school if you discount Professor Rottwood and the canteen food'

I smiled slightly at his optimism, still not quite comfortable but continuing to walk forwards all the same. Jake fell into step beside me and continued to chat but he walked closer, his arm almost brushing against mine. I hated myself for it but his scent surrounded me at the proximity and calmed me while I braced myself.

We entered the school I could feel eyes everywhere boring into me. I ducked my head, allowing my hair to cover some of my face. I was bombarded by all the different smells and I tried to tune out the muttering that wouldn't reach anyone else's ears.

'Come on, we'll get your schedule and locker number and code' Jake said, leading me down a couple of corridors before opening and door and holding it open for me.

The receptionist looked up and smiled warmly. It eased my nerves slightly and I realised she probably knew I was new, if she didn't then she would in a moment. I could smell a strong smell of toffee.

'You must be here for your schedule and locker number' She said, opening a folder and handing them to me

'Thank you' I said

She simply smiled and went back to work. Maybe nothing surprised her anymore. Out in the hallway we inspected my sheets.

'Ha cool, your locker is right next to mine. And most of your classes are with me. If they aren't then you're with my friends' Jake said 'C'mon, I'll show you your locker and introduce you to my buds'

'Okay' I said feeling nervous again.

Jake led the way to our lockers. There were two teenagers waiting for him.

One was a dark skinned girl slightly shorter than me, with a slim feminine build despite her tomboy clothes and a pretty face. Her eyes were a chocolate brown and her hair was tied up into two very curly bunches. She smelt like vanilla perfume and strawberry hair products.

The other was a tall lanky boy wearing a beanie with floppy mouse brown hair sticking out of it. He had hazel eyes that sparkled with intelligence but a vacant looking grin on his face. He smelt quite strongly of musky shower products and also the acidic smell of antipersperant.

'Hey Jakie babe, what up?' The girl said, her voice was husky but in a feminine sort of way. She and Jake bumped fists and she smiled toward me.

'Nothin but the ceiling baby' Jake said the cheesy retort. I didn't need to force a grin at the chuckle this earnt from the girl.

'Hey bro, who's your new friend' The boy said, his voice sounded slow almost dim. I realised this must be a facade; you couldn't fake the intelligence in his eyes. He looked curiously at me.

'Yeah guys this is Selena, she's the one who moved in next-door. Lee, this is Trixie and Spud, my best buds' Jake said pointing them out

'It's nice to meet you' I said politely, entering the code for my locker. I hesitated before opening the door. A manky smell was drifting out of the edges and I braced myself.

The smell hit me hard before I'd even got the door fully open and I recoiled, holding back a retch as quietly as I could. There was a smelly old lunch bag in the bottom, I grimaced, my eyes were watering.

'Ew man' Spud said looking over my shoulder in sick fascination.

'Aw, that's nasty' Trixie said looking at me sympathetically.

Jake leaned past us all and picked it up with a disgusted look on his face. He tossed it into the nearest bin and Trixie pulled out her perfume, spraying out the locker with the vanilla smelling liquid. It must've made it better for them but I wasn't so sure whether the two mingling smells or the bad smell on it's own was better.

'Well, that was a nice welcome' I said sarcastically, recovering with as much grace as I possibly could 'Thank you Jake and Trixie' I smiled

Spud chuckled and Trixie had a weird look on her face. Jake smiled at me encouragingly.

'You aren't from around here' Spud said

'No, I'm from England' I said 'But I did spend about ten years in California so you would've thought I would've managed to drop the English accent'

'It's not outrageous, kind of refreshing really' Spud complimented

'Well mama Trixie's here to help' Trixie said, putting her arm around me and leading me down the corridor

'I'm in her first two lessons with her, you're in her art class and Spuds in her science classes' Jake said pointedly

'Okay well we'll catch you both at break, holla!' Trixie said, taking her arm away and leading Spud off

'They seem nice' I said

'Yeah, they're the best' Jake said

The first lesson was English Literature and me and Jake were allowed to sit by each other, we chatted as we read the Shakespeare passages. It was Romeo and Juliette. The next was Math and I helped Jake with his calculus sums.

The bell rang and we packed our stuff away and headed out into the crowded corridors.

'Thanks Lee, I never got calculus before' Jake thanked me

'Don't mention it' I replied

'So, how you finding the first day?' Jake asked

'I like it. It's different to California' I admitted

I followed Jake outside and he made his way over to a bench. Trixie and Spud were already there.

'Hey dude's, what's crackalatin?' Trixie shouted from her seat on the bench

'Shakespeare' Jake replied as I smiled

'How do I compare thee to a summer's day?' Spud said enthusiastically

'More like O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? I said tragically making Spud fall about laughing.

'You should've done Act 4: Scene 15 with her' Trixie muttered at Jake as I laughed with Spud still quoting verses.

'What's Act 5: Scene 15?' I asked, cutting myself off

Jake twitched. Clearly he hadn't expected me to hear. I looked between him and Trixie, confused.

'Oh it was a scene from a school play one year that involved a k-oof' Trixie cut Spud off with a sharp elbow to the stomach

'A kick. That's what Spud means' Trixie said in a rather pointed way

'Oh yeah. A good kick up yon olde gluteus maximus' Spud said

I laughed at Trixie's incredulous face and Jake's awkward smile. I decided to let it slide.

'Ya'll can stop quoting ye olde English now' Trixie laughed at us 'Selena, what you got next?'

'Art, with you!' I said, checking on my schedule

'Ooo mama Trixie gon show you how to paint old school' Trixie said

'What? finger paint?' I teased

'Naaaa, you don't put yo fingers in paint!' Trixie said in mock horror

I felt pleased, happy I was fitting in as if I'd been there forever. Jake's friends seemed to be accepting me fine but the only problem I was having was getting past all the completely odd smells in the classrooms. I knew I'd get used to it but I didn't fancy my clothes smelling like an old trash bin.

We used sculpting clay in art and despite getting a decent amount of work done, Trixie and I still spent most of the lesson throwing clay discreetly at each other.

Lunch came around and Trixie was showing Jake a new skate trick she had learnt. I watched as Jake pulled it off after the fifth try. Me and Spud cheered at his success.

'You were slightly off on your left leg there Jakie' Trixie said jokingly

'Aw man can't a guy have his moment?' Jake said in dejection

'Well I thought it was good' I praised. I noted Jake got a slight blush in his cheeks and his scent suddenly increased tenfold. I blinked slightly in shock; I'd never known a smell on a person do that before.

The bell went and me and Spud went off to science. It was chemistry and Spud managed to convince our science teacher to let us be lab partners. Dressed in goggles that were too big for our faces and white lab coats I had push the sleeves back on so I wouldn't dip them into anything. We had to mix some chemicals to create a stable liquid.

'Steady hand there Selena, we don't wanna blow the school up' Spud said, stretching his beanie hat down over his ears, mock fear in his voice and eyes, making me shudder with laughter.

'I said careful!' Spud said indignantly taking the vial away from me

'I'm sorry Spud, but I doubt we could blow the school up' I giggled

We managed to mix the mixture and produce a stable liquid. We had biology afterwards and had to identify certain bacterial cells in gone off food, making us cringe about what might've been festering away in that mouldy old lunch bag. After lesson Jake was waiting by the main entrance for me.

'How was your day?' He asked

'I've actually enjoyed it' I said 'It's certainly different to Californian education'

'Wait till tomorrow, we have mythology with Rottwood. That will blow your mind away' Jake said

'Why?' I asked

'I think his work is based more on opinion than fact' Jake said, a slight bitter tone to his voice I didn't miss.

'Okay then' I said, deciding not to go there.

We stood chatting a bit when we got back and Jake looked over my shoulder at the house and laughed.

'You have someone waiting for you' He chuckled, pointing at the window.

I turned and saw Snow with her nose pressed eagerly against the glass and laughed 'I'd better get going, she needs a walk'

'Okay, see you later' Jake said

'Bye' I called, unlocking the door.

I shut the door behind me and Snow greeted me by sitting at my feet and pawing my leg. I crouched down and put my arms around her neck; she rested her head on my shoulder and sniffed me all over.

Like I predicted I was covered in odd smells and my ears were ringing unpleasantly.

'Ready for a walk?' I asked dumping my bag and reaching for her lead

She bounced happily at the sight of her lead and bombarded me with enthusiasm. I laughed at her and I clipped the lead to her collar and locked the front door behind us. I looked at my watch, Emily wouldn't be home for another few hours with Nicky so I had had plenty of time to walk Snow, do some wolfing about myself and make a start on dinner.

I jogged with Snow who trotted happily beside me. I entered the park and found a secluded area. I took Snow's lead off and I took the time to look around the clearing again and then transformed happily.

I think I could get used to this.

XxXxX

_As usual, review please! _


	5. Chapter 4 WTF?

_Some slight language in this chapter so be warned please!_

XxXxX

The evening went fairly slowly after dinner. I was in my bedroom doing calculus homework when my phone buzzed. I picked it up and was surprised to find a text message from Jake. We'd only swapped numbers earlier that day.

_Hey Lee_

_So I hope this isn't a creepy request._

_I'm really struggling with this calculus._

_Do you think you could nip over and help me out?_

_Jake _

I frowned and looked at my clock. It was only half eight and he only lived next door. I shut my text book, grabbed my work book and my notepad. I picked up my English stuff too, I'd struggled a little bit on writing an analytical essay. I held the whole lot under my arm as I went down the stairs, texting Jake back as I went.

'Hey Em, just nipping across to see Jake for a bit' I shouted

Emily stuck her head out of the kitchen door and looked at me confused.

'Whoa, wait! What happened to his smell is so strong I can barely think straight?'

'I'm getting used to it' I lied

'You've been keeping away from their house for ages!' Emily replied

'He's a friend, I have to go there at some point'

Emily made a noise that sounded halfway between a groan and a sigh before shaking her head.

'Home, before ten thirty' She sighed

'Thanks Em. It's not entirely a social visit anyway'

Before she could reply I went out and shut the door. I didn't even bother going down the steps and I simply vaulted over the dividing wall between our houses. I straightened my clothes and quickly smoothed my ponytail before knocking on the door. I heard Jake yelling that it was for him before he opened the door suddenly.

The fiery smell billowed out of the door and I had to force myself to not let my knees buckle. His hair was messed up, probably from only just resisting tearing it out by the looks. He'd abandoned his hoodie and his plain white t-shirt and blue jeans also looked slightly wrinkled.

He pulled me inside and shut the door. He explained to me as he went up the stairs, I hadn't expected to be going to his room.

'Hey Lee, sorry it's late. I'm really confused though and Simner wants it in tomorrow or else I would've left it' He said

'No need, I could do with a bit of help on lit myself' I smiled

He pushed open his bedroom door and the fiery smell went up. I blinked and immediately reverted to breathing through my mouth but it was so strong I could practically taste it too.

We settled on the floor and sat cross legged to study properly. As I helped him though I gradually got used to the smell and was able to ignore it and focus. The calculus work between us got done properly and then he helped me with my lit. Turns out he'd already written his essay, but now as he was helping me he was leaning right over me.

The skin on his arm brushed against mine and as he leaned on his arm to look at my workbook he fingers brushed my leg. I couldn't resist taking a slight inhale through my nose, immersing myself in the scent-

'Lee, are you alright?' Jake asked

I jumped slightly 'Oh, yeah! Sorry' I smiled sheepishly

'You seem distracted. You alright?' Jake frowned

I smiled and nodded, folding a loose bit of hair behind my ear nervously. Jake carried on explaining and I wrote furiously. After the homework we chatted for a bit. Somehow we got onto the subject of Mythology lessons and Jake started telling me about this Rottwood he'd mentioned earlier today.

'As far as I know, we're off dragons and onto Werewolves next' Jake said, flipping through his textbook which also appeared to have been written by the same professor.

'Werewolves?' I asked, resisting a nervous edge

'Yeah, but I've already read the thesis. It's a load of crap, there's no way werewolves are that lame' Jake replied with a laugh

'I don't have one of those textbooks' I said

'Yeah, you have to get em off Rottwood. They won't publish them but he still uses them in the curriculum' Jake said

'Right, I'll make a note of that'I replied

I looked at my watch, ten fifteen. I stood up and brushed myself off and pulled my fingers through my ponytail. Jake stood up and stretched, I purposely kept my eyes off him. It seemed that during spending more time with him my curiosity had turned to fascination and from that, stupidly, attraction.

He led me back down the stairs and handed me my school stuff.

'Right well, I'll see you tomorrow Lee. Same time to walk to school?' Jake asked

'Uh, yeah sure. See you later Jake' I smiled

I could not get to sleep properly that night, no matter how hard I tried. I stood up and went to my window. As I suspected the moon was full in the sky. It didn't make me transform but I was often very restless on this night every month. I dressed and snuck out.

XxXxX

Jake hadn't known of many unusual things in the grand scheme of things. Yes, the fact that he was half magical reptile was unusual, the fact that he protected the likes of fairies, pixies and unicorns to name but a few was unusual and yes, the fact that his Grandpa's dog was over 600 years old and could talk. But the fact was that this was unusual for others but not to Jake.

However, the fact that one of his newest friends seemed constantly distracted in his presence was bothering him. Selena was, to him anyway, a different kind of girl. In everything else he'd seen her do such as dealing with her rambunctious nephew, bonding with his own friends and the way she spoke to the rest of the students and even the teachers at Filmore she seemed very confident. But as soon as she was within five feet of him she seemed distracted and slightly tense.

She was different even without that, Jake was still completely curious about what she was. He'd never known anyone but another magical creature and a slayer knocking him off his feet unless he'd been unaware. He'd been completely aware that once Selena had left that top step she was going to land on him and he'd been ready to catch her.

He entered the shop but this time Fu moved out of the way. Lao Shi recognised the same look of distraction on his grandson's face. It seemed Fu did too.

'What now?' The dog asked

'She was just at my house. I'm pretty sure she was...smelling me' Jake pulled a face

Fu Dog and Lao Shi exchanged a look before Lao pulled a book off a shelf and opened a page. Jake saw a few of them were marked.

He looked at the first page. It read "_Succubus. Female. Typically attractive but very physically strong. A very dangerous breed of humanoid creature that preys on any kind of male creature but prefers the soul of a magical being_"

Jake pulled a face and flipped to the next marked page "_Nix_" He flipped to the next page "_Werewolves. Highly dangerous on the night of the full moon but otherwise are harmless human beings with few differences. They can speak to dogs, they have highly sensitive hearing and senses of smell, physically strong and easily disguised_"

He looked up at Lao Shi who put his finger on that page.

'I think we could be dealing with a potentially dangerous creature Jake' Lao Shi said

Jake looked out of the window. The moon was high and full in the sky, he looked back at Lao Shi.

'I don't think she's dangerous though. She's different' Jake said, his voice low.

Lao Shi and Fu Dog looked at one another. They didn't need reminding of Jake's former love to know that despite everything; he knew what was real in someone. They just had to trust that he wouldn't be wrong this time.

XxXxX

The next morning I got up and showered and dressed as usual but I had to rub remaining sleep from my eyes. I was slightly disturbed about the fact that on full moon I was getting more restless. I wasn't forced to transform but I felt compelled to. I went into the kitchen and Emily winced slightly.

'I checked my lunar calendar, it was a full moon last night' She commented

'I'm getting restless. I may have to take a trip to go and see Bryce' I replied

Bryce was the only other Lycanthromorphic being I'd encountered. As a full Lycanthropic, his senses were a lot stronger than mine and he'd been able to detect me instantly and he'd known juts from my scent that I hadn't been infected with it later in life, I'd been born that way.

He was the one who'd given me the knowledge about Lycanthropics. He was the reason I knew it was a disease, a virus to be exact which was why it couldn't be cured despite the many remedy myths, told me about silver allergies which explained why I couldn't wear silver jewellery without breaking out in rashes on the area it was worn.

Emily tipped my head back and delicately covered up my dark circles. She dusted my face off with powder and dabbed some slight blush on.

'There, much better' She said softly 'And yes, if you feel it's necessary. I trust Bryce with you'

I nodded. Snow sat closely by my side, her worry hung heavily over me. I scrunched her ears reassuringly before shouldering my schoolbag and getting up to leave.

I left the house and put on a smile for Jake who stood waiting, his scent hit me like a ton of bricks. I hissed when I realised my senses must've been stronger from the full moon the night before. Like me, it seemed he'd also had a rather restless night but unlike me he hadn't covered it up with makeup. He still seemed able to tell I was tired though.

'Rough night Lee?' He asked, an unusal pointedness about his voice.

I frowned, he couldn't possibly suspect anything 'Yeah, Buck kept jumping about in his cage. What about you?'

'Yeah, I couldn't sleep either' He said

We walked in relative silence, an unusual awkwardness hung over us both. It was strange to say the least, Jake had always seemed comfortable in my presence and even though I couldn't say the same I never let it bother me.

It didn't go any further than the school doors though and as soon as Trixie and Spud were there the atmosphere went back to normal. Soon we were in the first lesson of the day which was History; I had that with Spud and then Art again with Trixie.

Break went as normal and then the other three groaned. I checked my timetable. Mythology was next, the lesson that all three had managed to warn me about at least once. It seemed to be one of those lessons that people took as that lesson where you didn't try too hard.

'I can't wait to see how you react to this' Spud joked as we lined up outside the classroom, waiting to be let in.

'Why?' I asked

'Because Rottwood is a complete joke' Jake replied

I frowned but didn't comment. I'd taken this lesson with the hope that it actually had some truth about myths and I'd possibly learn more about Lycanthropics.

An unusual man made his way up the corridor. He dressed in extremely odd and ill-fitting clothes and he even had one of those one lense things on a string, held in place by one squinty eye.

He unlocked the classroom door without a word and everyone went in one by one. I stood awkwardly at the front but Jake stayed with me. He pointedly cleared his throat.

'Yo, Prof-'

'No yo-yoing in my class Jake Long!' He snapped

I blinked at the heavy german accent and he finally seemed to notice me.

'Ah you must be the new student Selena Tyler?' He asked

'Yes' I replied

'You will take a seat there between Mr Long and Miss Carter. Here is a textbook, do not lose it I need to collect these at the end of the year for my next class of students' He said bossily and then with that, turned his back right to me.

I shrugged and followed Jake to my seat. I was quite pleased to see that Jake, Trixie, Spud and I occupied the middle row of seats. I sat down and waited patiently while he wrote in big letters across the blackboard; An Introduction to Werewolf Theology.

He then turned, rather dramatically, to the class. His eyeglass swung from his eye and he quickly caught it swinging on the end of its string and stuck it back into his right eye. I sighed; I knew right away that this had been a mistake.

'Turn to page three hundred and ninety four if you will class' He said

I only just managed to not smirk at the similarity between his statement and Snape's from Harry Potter but I did hear some slight muttering about it.

When I got there however I was stunned to see an illustration of a Chupakabra like creature underneath the title; Werewolves. I was aware of my expression of distaste on my face. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Trixie had lifted her textbook and turned it on its side, the corner of her lip lifted in disgust.

'Yes, they are quite ugly' Rottwood commented 'As I said in our last lesson that we would begin to study werewolves as our next subject'

'Dude, that's one messed up werewolf' I heard Spud comment

'Yeah, I thought the whole reason they were called werewolves, was that thney resembled them in some way' Jake said

'Ah ah ah ah, simply myths, however they are known to howl like wolves' Rottwood replied 'Please take out your notebooks and make notes, this is very important information, I am about to reveal'

I pulled out my notepad and a pencil but I knew instantly I wasn;t going to write any notes down. Once Rottwood was satisfied we were all ready to 'learn', he began his lecture.

'Now, most theories on Werewolves come from works of fiction and myth. Allergies to silver and other things associated with them are complete nonsense. And that their transformations are said to be furry in some way is also nonsense. They are actually scaly, like lizards, usually grey or green in colour or a combination of the two with glowing red eyes and sharp fangs which would actually break if they bit anything and they are usually around three to four foot in height. They also hop like kangaroos'

I heard a few giggles from around me. I looked around, Spud had completely zoned out and was chewing the end of a pencil hanging out of his mouth, Trixie was laughing silently but hysterically behind her textbook and Jake had an incredulous look plastered on his face. Rottwood however was ignoring his student's reactions and was carrying on.

'Also contrary to popular belief, they don't hunt humans or any other animal for that matter. They feed themselves by smelling things that smell pretty, like flowers'

I couldn't help the loud scoff that came out of my mouth. Trixie twitched at my reaction and I heard her giggling slightly now. Rottwood carried on rather admirably despite my less than discreet reaction.

'True legend has it that Werewolves, even female ones, are particularly enamoured by beautiful young women'

It actually effectively silenced the room and caught everyone's attention. The clatter of Spud's pencil dropping from his mouth was the only noise in the room. I stared at the mental professor with my mouth hanging wide open. Where the hell did this idiot get his theories?

'So the best way to capture a werewolf is to go out on the full moon if you are female and are of an attractive persuasion. Wait for a werewolf and strip yourself naked and then the werewolf will be overcome with lust and will be easy to capture' Rottwood concluded 'They have relatively short life spans compared to the longevity of things like woodland sprites, only the average length of about ten years. They also cannot mate'

I raised my hand; Rottwood looked at me before waving his stick at me.

'Yes, Miss Tyler?' He asked

'So how do they spread their disease?' I asked

'It is unclear whether it is actually a disease' Rottwood replied

'Okay, the condition they are afflicted with' I countered

Rottwood looked at me, his mouth open like he was going to answer but he clearly couldn't think of anything. I carried on mercilessly.

'You're saying they cannot bite, they cannot mate and they have the lifespan of the average domestic dog. Wouldn't that make them extinct as a species?' I pressed my voice sarcastic but innocent.

The class seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for Rottwood to answer me. He didn't actually bother, he simply tried to move along but I raised my hand again. He grated his teeth in frustration and answered me tensely.

'Yes, Miss Tyler?'

'How do you suppose they came into existence then?' I asked

'They tend to pop out of holes in the ground' He replied

'What, like plants?' I asked

'Clearly not plants' Rottwood snapped and then tried to carry on but I raised my hand again.

'Yes, Miss Tyler?' A definite pink tinge was colouring his cheeks.

'Is it too late for me to pick another lesson option?' I asked

I heard Jake let out a huge guffaw and like Trixie; he too dived behind his textbook to laugh. In fact, I heard a few giggles. I could barely keep the smug smirk off my face and keep the innocent expression. Rottwood went beet red with anger or embarrassment, I wasn't sure which.

I was quickly handed a detention for cheeking him and he went back to the lecture. I sat quietly, flipping through the rest of the book, occasionally laughing quietly at the snippets I heard from Rottwood or I was reading in the book.

Apparently ogres were no more harmless than a butterfly and dragons smelt of lavender.

Eventually the bell went and I hung back to get my detention slip. I slammed it into my bag and exited the classroom. Jake, Trixie and Spud waited for me. Spud took hold of my shoulders.

'You are officially my new hero' He said

Trixie pulled me away 'High fives! That was awesome. I don't think I've ever been so excited in a lesson'

'Yeah well, even if werewolves did exist I really don't think his theories are correct' I replied

'How can you be so sure?' Jake asked

I looked at him, he looked on edge. I frowned.

'Come on Jake. Have you ever heard of a werewolf sniffing flowers to feed because their teeth will break?' I asked

He didn't answer, he just nodded and sloped off. Spud and Trixie frowned after him but walked beside me. Jake was quiet for the rest of the day and he didn't wait to walk home with me.

I wondered what I could possibly have done to offend him so and I also wondered if he suspected anything. I didn't see why he should, anyone with a brain could tell that Rottwood's theories were complete shite.

Then my skin bristled and I looked around sharply. The sensation that I was being watched came over me. I realised I hadn't felt it since I'd been hanging around with Jake.

I ran home. Snow greeted me normally and then bristled in alarm at my turbulent emotions. She expressed deep concern and nosed me, whining softly. I sat on the floor in the hallway and draped my arm around her neck.

A sharp knock on the door made me jump and I opened it. Jake barged his way in and shut it behind me. His scent was almost overwhelming and for a moment I was taken by surprise. He backed me down the hallway until my back hit the far wall. His face was menacing and I actually felt a ripple of fear down my body.

Snow growled dangerously and slinked her way around to stand between me and Jake. I was surprised when he quickly shoved her into the kitchen with his leg and shut the door behind her. She barked furiously from behind the wall and I felt my anger rise at him treating my companion in such a way. I put my hands on his chest and shoved him away from me, resisting the temptation to growl myself.

'What the fuck do you think you're doing? Barging in here and then manhandling my dog?' I shouted

'Alright Selena, you are going to tell me the truth' Jake snapped

I frowned, genuinely confused 'What do you mean, the truth?'

He pulled a book out of his bag, flipped through the pages and shoved it into my hands. The smell of old and well used pages rose from the book and I looked down at it. My blood instantly ran slightly cold as I read the title.

_Werewolves_

I scanned the page. It was a lot better theology than Rottwood's lesson and the fact that a faded ink illustration of a proud looking wolf emblazoned the page made me nervous. It looked like me in my own form. I decided to act innocent and I shoved it back at him.

'What the hell is this?' I snarled

'You know damn well what it is Selena' Jake replied

I shook my head and shoved him away again, towards the door.

'I think you are mental and you can get out of my house now!' I retorted

Jake dug his heels in and astonishingly made himself too heavy for me to shift.

'I'm not going anywhere until you tell me the truth! You act oddly around me, you knocked me clean off my feet, you argued the hell out of Rottwood and you were tired today. I know for a fact it was a full moon last night' Jake countered

'You are insane. Get out!' I shouted, I went to shove him again but he grabbed my wrists.

This time he stunned me. He leaned in and pressed his lips hard against mine. I yelped and pulled back before wrenching one of my hands free and I slapped him clean across his cheek.

We both stood there, stunned. He slowly raised his hand to his cheek where already a red print was forming. I backed away, slightly frightened now. I realised Snow was still barking furiously and was now clawing at the door frantically. Jake however seemed completely calm.

'Okay yeah, that was-'

'Alarming'

'Yeah'

'Get. Out'

This time, he listened. He turned his back to me and left, slamming the door behind him but not before he deposited the book onto the hall table. I practically stumbled to the kitchen door and let Snow out. She jumped at me frantically, licking my face all over and sniffing me.

I sank to the floor again and leaned my head back on the wall. Snow snuggled right into me, her communication was reassuring and gentle put pitted onto revenge.

'Oh god Snow' I groaned 'Somehow, he knows'

Before I knew it, I'd stood up and picked up the book he'd left. I flipped through it. It was like no book I'd ever seen and it clearly wasn't a normal book. I found the page about werewolves and found there were actually several pages but not once did it mention naturally born Lycanthropics. It was clear too that whoever had written it had a biased opinion on creatures like me.

It heavily emphasised the dangers of Lycanthropics and made us out to be monsters. I shut the book, blinking back tears. After I'd calmed myself slightly I noticed a folded over corner.

Curiously, I flipped open the book again on the page. A dragon, fierce looking a breathing fire emblazoned the page. I read through it, my eyes wide.

Dragons were protectors of the magical world, sort of like the police of that community. It described beings able to transform into dragons at will but I could tell the information was summarised. There was clearly a whole lot more but I understood now.

Jake was a dragon.

XxXxX

O.o _What will happen? As usual review. I'm a bit nervous about this chapter so please please please give me an honest opinion on it. I know it's out of character for Jake to storm about like that but he's trying to determine if Selena is actually a werewolf and if she's dangerous. He's probably highly stressed about it and stress can make anyone act out. _


	6. Chapter 5 The Truth Will Out

Jake had never thought of himself as a menacing person, nor did he regret his actions often. But he was now sat in his Grandpa's shop while Fu Dog and Lao Shi attempted to comfort the young adult.

'Ugh, I can't believe I did that' He groaned

'Neither can I kid! You don't go charging around accusing dames of being werewolves and then snogging their faces off. You have to be far more subtle than that if you want her to like you' Fu replied

'Say wha?' Jake asked, almost turning in his seat to look at him.

'Oh come on Jake, you clearly like her'

'Aw no man, I-'

'I'm afraid young one that Fu Dog is right. You have grown an attachment to this girl' Lao Shi replied

Jake sighed in defeat 'Yeah well it doesn't matter now does it? I've probably messed up any chance of a friendship, let alone anything mor-'

'It couldn't have happened anyway Jake. She would've been too dangerous. Hunstgirl was completely different to the wolf. At least she could control her actions and make her choices. Selena can't' Lao Shi replied

'That's not true! She could've attacked me earlier and she didn't. I was trying to provoke her and she reacted like a normal girl would compared to what she could've' Jake argued

'But as a human she's nearly defenceless' Fu pointed out

'She's still strong though. I'm positive if she'd felt like it, she could've given me a decent fight even as a human but she didn't'

'What do you propose we do?' Lao Shi asked

'I left that book behind. If she's curious like I think she'll be, she'll reach out'

'That's if you haven't scared her away' Fu pointed out

Jake groaned and buried his face in his hands. Lao Shi laid his hand on his grandson's shoulder.

'I need to go out of town for a few days and visit the council. Werewolves are tagged and they should be able to tell us whether Selena is or not. Your mother says you can use the spare room and stay here. Please keep up with your dragon duties while I am gone' Lao Shi said

Jake nodded and went up to the roof to transform. Lao Shi hesitated slightly before picking up his travel bag.

'Don't worry too much. Even if she does hurt him we have the added benefit of knowing werewolves can't infect magical beings' Fu said

'No, I am more worried he will get his heart broken again. He recovers from physical wounds far easier than emotional ones' Lao Shi replied before letting out a low sigh and leaving the shop.

XxXxX

I knew I was supposed to do dinner, I knew I was supposed to do my homework but instead I had Jake's book crammed under my arm and I was vaulting the wall that divided our houses. I knocked on the door and Susan answered it.

'Hi Mrs Long, is Jake here?' I asked

She hesitated before answering 'He's at my father's shop'

I'd been there once and I knew where it was 'Thanks Mrs Long'

She nodded and shut the door. I got a ways down the street before dropping the book on the floor and transforming. I knew it would be easy to track Jake's scent if he went there. It was right out in the open but I knew since I was so pale as a wolf I looked more like a domestic dog.

I picked up the book delicately in my teeth and managed to find Jake's scent. I tracked it quickly right to Lao Shi's shop. I turned back into a human and knocked on the back door.

I got a huge shock when the dog answered the door. We stood there, staring back and forth at each other.

'Okay, what the hell is going on?' I asked

The dog blinked at me before _shrugging_ and opening his mouth.

'Alright alright, let's get one thing straight. This stays between us doll face'

My eyes widened and my mouth opened and closed as I figured out what to say. He reached up and guided me in by my hand. I stood and looked at him until an odd noise caught my attention.

My head flicked to the source and I moved to the door into the front of the shop. Fu Dog seemed to have heard it too and he followed me. I reached for the handle and opened it slightly to make a crack big enough for the both of us to peer through.

A huge hulking creature that had grey green skin, big ears and a bald head apart from a ponytail of muddy coloured hair sticking out of the back of his head. I took a slight intake through my nose and recoiled at the stench.

'It reeks' I whispered

'Yeah, that's ogres for you'

'Ogres? What's it doing here?' I asked

I watched as it loped about the room, it seemed to be looking for something. I narrowed my eyes because they were watering from the nasty smell it was creating.

'Er...we keep magic stuff in here. Probably after something like that'

I could hear the reluctance in the dog's voice to tell me these things. I was currently sizing the thing up, I knew I couldn't win a fight with it but I was wondering how long I might be able to distract it until the dog could get help.

'Where do you keep it then?' I asked

'Most of it's in here but anything of value is kept upstairs'

'Okay, is there any way you can get help?' I asked

'I can probably get hold of Jake quite quick'

'Go outside and contact him then' I replied

My heart pace was quickening; the ogre was slowly making its way towards the back room we were hiding in. I shut the door as quietly as possible and slid the bolt I could see shut but kept my ear to the door so I could hear how close it got.

'That won't hold him long' Fu told me, pulling a phone from I don't know where.

'Anything to keep him busy' I replied

He was right outside the door now so I turned back to the dog.

'Get outside' I hissed

'Wha-why?'

There was a huge bang on the door. The piece of metal holding the bolt to the door and the wall splintered as did the door's handle and the areas around the hinges. I transformed quickly and turned back to the dog. I slammed my consciousness into his.

_Get outside! _I commanded

The door splintered in and I glared at the ogre poking his face in the gap. I growled deep in my chest and lifted my lips to show my needle sharp teeth. The ogre laughed at me and reached into the room. I was aware that I was able to bite things without infecting anything with Lycanthropy so I bit down on his fingers.

He screeched and pulled his hand back before smashing the door in properly. I lunged for him before he could attack me first. I landed on his chest with enough force that I was able to knock him flat. He swung at me with an angry roar but I managed to dodge his attack by leaping from his chest. He swung again before I landed though and he knocked my feet from under me.

I landed hard on my side with a winded yelp but I forced myself to stand and move out of the way of a blow. His hand was curled to a fist and quite hefty. I ran under his hands and bit at his ankles.

He roared with rage and before I could dodge, managed to connect a blow to my side. I was aware that he'd sent me right into the air and I collided painfully with a shelf of TV's. I went to the floor, pulling a few off with me that smashed to the ground around me. I felt the glass under my fur and it scratched my skin slightly.

My vision spun as I lay dazed, sucking air into my lungs. I was aware of the ogre hulking his way towards me, a cruel smirk of triumph on his face. He stood right over me as I struggled to get to my feet. I stumbled dizzily and went down again.

'Say goodbye woof woof' It tormented, raising both its fists

I tensed ready for the blows.

'Not today ogre!'

My eyes snapped open at Jake's voice but in the shop doorway a huge red dragon was stood. It could barely get through the door way but it did. It moved lightning fast and quickly overpowered the ogre.

'Why are you here?'

Jake's voice came from the dragon and I realised it must've been Jake. I let my eyes slide shut but I didn't go unconscious.

'I was sent here!' The ogre stammered

'Why?' Jake asked, the growl to his voice was menacing.

'I dunno, some warlock sent me to look for information on a werewolf! I swear I don't know what for' The ogre replied

There was a brief silence 'Get out of here, and if you so much as step foot in this city again I won't let you off as easily'

There was a scuffle as the dragon let the ogre up and he rushed from the shop. I heard a crackle of fire and the smell of burning reached my nose before Jake's regular scent filled the air. Rushing footsteps made their way towards me and I felt someone press a gentle hand to my shoulder. I twitched and raised my head up and looked at him. His face was concerned but relieved to see I was at least conscious.

'Oh Selena' He sighed 'Why the hell would you take on a ogre?

'Careful Jake, it looked like she took a pretty hard hit'

I made a grumble and laid my head back down. Jake wasn't aware I couldn't communicate in werewolf form. I just needed to stay like this a bit longer, Bryce had told me that I may have accelerated self-healing due to having Lycanthropy but he couldn't be too sure if it was diluted from being born with it. I guessed now was as good as ever to find out.

I reached my mind out to Fu Dog _Tell him I can't communicate out loud to people while I'm a werewolf. Only to dogs _

Fu Dog quickly relayed the message. Jake nodded and played with the fur on my shoulders. I could feel the pain reducing slightly so I transformed back. I rolled onto my back, ignoring the sting of the glass on the floor around and let out a slight groan.

'Well that sucked' I said

'Can you move?' Jake asked

I nodded 'Yeah it's not so bad now'

I let him help me to my feet though. I swayed slightly from the sudden movement and I could feel Jake clutching my arm to steady me.

'So doll face, you don't need a full moon to transform?' The dog asked

Jake started at the fact that Fu Dog spoke to me. I smirked at him.

'Didn't you know Jake? That's old news now, I'm more interested in the fact you're a fire breathing reptile' I told him

'Hmm, and the fact that you're a dog' Jake countered

'Werewolf actually' I grinned

He shook his head and guided me to a sofa. I sat with a groan from the stiffness I was feeling in my muscles and inspected the backs of my arms. I had little cuts in the from scrabbling about on the glass but nothing too major.

'It's interesting to meet a werewolf who doesn't need a full moon to transform Fu Dog said

I grinned at him 'Yeah, I'm different to other Lycanthropics'

Jake sat next to me, looking at me with utter fascination which, I have to say, was unnerving me.

'How so?' He asked

'That book you gave me, doesn't detail what I am, which is only half Lycanthromorphic. My father was a werewolf infected later in life, my mother was a human. I was born with Lycanthropy so apparently that makes it diluted. I'm not compelled to transform by the full moon and I can choose when I want to do it too. I can't spread it either' I told them

Jake looked triumphantly at Fu Dog 'Well it's nice to know that she isn't dangerous like I said'

Fu Dog slapped his hand to his forehead 'I never said she was dangerous. I was more worried about her unintentionally hurting someone'

'She is still here and she would like some explanations' I said loudly 'Like how you knew'

'Well, if you will go around contacting strange dogs telepathically in canine that just happen to be animal guardians to magical beings you are going to raise suspicion' Fu Dog said

I nodded 'Noted, stranger danger applies to everything'

Fu Dog chuckled at my back chat but Jake looked serious.

'You are going to have to be careful now. You've been here in my headquarters and been sighted. I also want to know why an ogre was looking for information on a werewolf' He said

I nodded, only now starting to realise the potential severity of what I'd done. Jake nodded, clearly seeing it dawn on me.

'It's my job to fight stuff like that, not yours' Jake told me

I nodded 'Trust me, I won't be getting involved in that again. I wonder what werewolf they're wanting to know about'

'It's probably you! I've been hearing word of a new werewolf in New York who keeps going to Central Park to transform' Jake said 'Werewolves are not open creatures, you have to be more secretive'

I was steadily getting more and more frustrated with him. I didn't see any need to hide what I was, within reason anyway. I wasn't dangerous, I could control my transformations, I kept full control of my mind when I was in my wolf form and I couldn't spread the disease. So I did the only thing I knew and fought back. I stood up, ignoring the lingering dizziness.

'Listen to me Jake Long and listen good. I have no reason to hide myself from the magical community. I'm not dangerous in case you haven't noticed'

'No-'

'You don't even get it. I was born with this disease, I can't help it!'

'Just shut u-'

'In fact regular Lycanthropics can't even help it! It's not like they asked to be bitten-'

'Just STOP talking a moment and let me explain!' Jake shouted over me

I shut my mouth instantly and he looked at me, slightly sympathetically but also compelling. I connected my eyes with his and he looked down after holding my gaze for a moment.

'Werewolves are considered one of the most dangerous creatures in the magical world, in fact before today, just now, I'd never heard of someone being born a werewolf. Werewolves are considered so dangerous that they're tagged, kept in safe-houses and their movements are constantly known. I'm surprised that they don't already know about you' Jake said

He sighed and raked his fingers through his hair, turning to Fu Dog.

'Is there any way we can contact Grandpa?' He asked

'No, he'll be before the council already' Fu Dog said

'What does that mean?' I asked

'Selena, are you tagged at all?' Jake asked

I looked at him incredulously 'What do you mean?'

'You know, like chipped or something?' Jake asked

'No!' I replied, affronted.

Jake and Fu Dog exchanged a glance. Jake put a hand on my shoulder and looked at me, a genuinely sorry look on his face.

'They'll be looking for you. My Grandpa went to the council to ask about you and when he does they'll want to catch you, tag you and because you were born like this they'll probably want to study you'

I tensed and backed away, appalled by what I was hearing.

'But, I'm a person'

'I know'

'They can't do that'

'We know doll'

'I _never_ did anything wrong!'

I was quickly panicking. What if Emily and Nicky were in danger? Did my mother know the severity of me being born? Was that why we'd left England so quickly? Had she been fleeing with me?

Jake put his hand on my shoulder again and I looked up at him. Feeling my eyes welling up with unshed panicked tears. I saw his gaze go from sympathetic to determined. He turned to the dog.

'I'm going to take her away from here' He told Fu Dog

'What? Kid, you can't just hide a werewolf'

'I can and I will. She's right, she never did anything wrong. She can't spread the disease, she can choose when to transform and she keeps her mind. Why should she be tagged and studied?' Jake asked

Fu Dog looked at him, clearly torn between following his law and turning me in or going along with Jake and doing something risky. But quickly, he seemed to get his mind set too.

'Alright kid. Take her somewhere safe. I'll deal with the council' Fu Dog said

Jake nodded, he grabbed my hand and pulled me from the shop. I followed him, dazed and in shock. My body was starting to hurt from the hammer I'd taken off the ogre and my head was hurting from the questions running through my mind. I wanted so desperately to be able to ask my mother the truth and I had no way of finding my father.

Bryce had never warned me about laying low because werewolves were considered to be so dangerous. I wanted now to ask him why he'd never said, I decided the best course of action was to go back to California and track him down.

But first, I had to go and give some sort of explanation to Emily. I couldn't believe how messed up things had gotten in just an hour or so. Suddenly English Literature didn't seem like such a big problem anymore.

XxXxX

_So, big problems for Selena. Tell me what you think please! _


	7. Chapter 6 On the Run

Jake looked over at the frightened and shocked Selena. She walked, staring forward, clutching her arm slightly where she had a bit of a deeper cut from the glass, probably not properly aware of it from the look on her face.

Jake didn't think he could feel so guilty about something. Selena had a family to think about she'd been getting on with things her whole life like normal. It didn't look like she disliked what she was; she looked like she had accepted it long ago and just made the most of it.

He knew that his Grandpa would've gotten suspicious anyway, Fu Dog would've eventually fessed up about the incident at the barbeque but Jake knew if he hadn't have said anything it would've taken longer for Lao Shi to go and inform the council. In that time Jake could've probably gained her trust enough to actually have learned she wasn't a dangerous man eating werewolf and convinced his Grandpa to have kept quiet.

'I don't know what I'm going to tell Emily' Selena said quietly

Jake looked down at her. Her forehead was creased into a deep frown and her eyes had watered up again, the look of pain in her eyes was almost unbearable and he had to look away from her.

'Don't tell her too much. Just tell her you've got to run and tell her about me. Don't tell her where we're running to, we want the council to leave her out of this as much as possible' Jake told her

He watched as Selena nodded.

'I've got a bank account and a magical bank account I can empty. We needn't worry about money' Jake said

Selena nodded 'I have a saving account I can pull money from too'

'I'll nip home and grab some things. Pack light and bring only what's necessary' Jake said

'You sound like you've done this before' Selena joked

'I haven't but I've known magical creatures who've had to do it for the same reason as you' Jake replied

They got to their houses, Jake hesitated and gently put his hand on Selena's arm. She looked up at him, her green eyes still shining.

'I'll do everything I can to make sure they don't capture you' Jake said, putting as much sincerity as he could in his voice and his eyes.

Selena nodded and went up the path and into her house. Jake sprang into action.

XxXxX

I shut the front door. I could hear the noises of food being made, Nicky giggling and Emily entertaining him. I took a deep breath. Snow came out of the living room, her thoughts curious at the turmoil of my emotions.

I scrunched her ears and braced myself for telling Emily about what had happened. I pushed open the kitchen door.

'Well it;s about time young lady what happen to-SELENA!'

I jumped as Emily screeched and dropped an entire pan of peas into the sink. She lunged forwards and touched my face. I winced as I realised it must've bruised from hitting my head earlier.

'What on earth have you been doing?' She asked

'I can't tell you too much Emily. Only that I was right about Jake not being a normal human and I had a fight with an ogre and now I have to run away and-'

I burst into tears. Emily immediately wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a comforting embrace.

'Tell me Selena' She soothed

I took a breath and told her about how discriminated against werewolves were, that being like me had very little known about them and that the magic council had found out about me and now I had to run away or risk being captured and studied. Emily had been appalled.

'I'll go with you' She had said

'No, what about Nicky? And Snow and Buck? I need you to stay here and throw them off. I need you to tell them that you know nothing. I need you to behave like I haven't said anything. As far as you know I went to school, came home, packed some things up and left before you returned home from work' I explained

'But-'

'But nothing Emily. I can't possibly put Nicky through this. I'm going to Bryce and ask about this. Failing that, I'll track down my father and see what he has to say. Mum must've known something'

'How could she?' Emily asked

'Because we moved here Emily. We moved here suddenly just before I started transforming, she must've known something' I replied

I was getting through to her, I could tell from the look on her face. She pulled me into another hug but this felt more like she was trying to lend me support and saying goodbye. I rushed upstairs quickly and pulled a few clean clothes into a rucksack with my toiletries and purse. I pulled on a thick jumper to cover the cut on my arm.

I said goodbye to Buck, had a very difficult goodbye from Snow and left without seeing Nicky. I blinked back tears as I trudged dejectedly down my front steps. Jake was already waiting.

We went to the nearest bank and emptied our accounts of money completely. We boarded a bus leaving New York and going to New Jersey. I sat beside Jake in silence, my head tilted away from him as I let tears run down my face. I didn't even pay attention to the horrible mix of smells on the bus. My heart was breaking at leaving my only family and I'd not known pain like this since Mum had died. Eventually though the tears ran dry and I wiped my face off.

We got to New Jersey and found a small cafe to feed ourselves and make a plan. I chose now to tell Jake about Bryce.

'I have to go back to California' I said

Jake looked at me incredulously 'That's ten states give or take a few to cross! We'll never get that far without being caught'

'I have a friend, the only other Lycanthropic I know. I want to speak to him and get some answers. I want to know why he didn't warn me'

'Look, I'm not going to go to a werewolf. That's not my idea of keeping you safe' Jake said

I felt my temper rise 'Is that because of the distance or because my friend is a Lycanthropic?'I paused before speaking again 'And think about your answer carefully' I added dangerously

Jake shook his head 'It's not the fact that it's a werewolf, not even the distance. I have no idea if we'll even get that far with the money we have and how wanted you will be'

'I have to speak to him Jake. Failing that I'm tracking down my father'

Jake groaned 'We can't go around tracking down people who haven't been heard from in eighteen years!'

'Who else do you expect me to turn to? You? In case you didn't know, it was you and your family that got me into this situation!' I accused

I seemed to have hit a nerve because Jake visibly flinched at my comment but I wasn't done and I was both angry and upset.

'I didn't ask for this, any of it! I've had no choice with what I live with. And I didn't even know about the severity of it until today. I've had to leave the only family I have for how long I don't even know!'

Jake sat silently, looking down at his food. I took several steadying breaths to calm myself. He eventually lent forwards on his arms.

'We can't get a flight to California. We'll have to go along on a mix of coaches, buses and on foot where we can' He frowned

'I can drive'

'We're not jacking a car' Jake rolled his eyes

'It was a suggestion'

'We already have enough on our plates without having mortals looking for us too' Jake replied 'We'll find a coach in the morning. For now we should find a motel, get a room and get some sleep'

'Right, will we try and get two rooms next to each other or something?'

'No, we get a twin room. I'm not letting you out of my sight other than for you to shower and pee'

'Well, what if they don't have a twin room?'

'I'll sleep on the floor or on a couch'

I sat back, sticking together seemed like a good plan but I wasn't sure about the proximity. Sure I was used to sharing space with Emily and Nicky but they were family. I wasn't even sure if Jake trusted me or not so how was sharing a room going to be?

He was sat across from me, not really eating his food like me. Why had he taken pity on me? Thousands of questions raced through my mind and I knew I couldn't risk a transformation to run off some energy to at least sleep tonight. I pulled my hair over my shoulder and pulled my hands through it nervously, staring at the food I hadn't even touched. The smell of it was making me feel queasy on top of the nerves floating through my stomach. I abruptly pushed it away from me but it didn't help. Jake tensed from the sudden movement and looked up at me and then looked down at my plate.

'Aren't you going to eat something?' He asked

'I'm too nervous to eat anything' I replied, looking out of the window.

'I know the feeling but you need to have something in your stomach' Jake replied

I didn't answer but the sudden loud noise of a coffee machine made me jump. My head flicked up towards the noise and my stomach clenched unpleasantly. Jake was within my peripheral vision and I saw him wince slightly.

'Are you alright, you look really white' He asked

I shook my head, looking around and feeling like the world was suddenly caving in on top of me. I got up.

'I need some air' I said quickly

I walked outside as quickly as I could and burst out through the door. I took in a huge lungful of fresh air, clearing my nose of the stodgy food smell and taking in cool air to my lungs. I paced around restlessly before dumping myself on a bench and holding my head in my hands. It wasn't like I'd had a cushy life but I knew I wasn't prepared to handle anything like this.

The door opened beside me and I looked up to see Jake. He put the bags down and then sat next to me. I didn't say anything and neither did he. The silence between us was heavy and slightly awkward when not a few days ago we didn't have difficulty in making conversation. But finding out he could transform into a fire breathing mythical reptile certainly shifted things between us. I'd always had a suspicion that he was more than what he seemed but finding out seemed to have put a wall up I didn't dare breach.

'Come on. I asked the cashier where the nearest motel was. Apparently it's a bit further down the road that way' Jake sighed eventually 'I paid for the food'

I nodded 'Did you want some money back for it?'

'My treat'

'I didn't eat anything'

'So?'

I sighed and gave up but made a mental note not to forget. I picked up my bag and followed him. We got to a quiet but decent looking place in the fact that it was clean and didn't look like someone might kick the door open in the night and steal all of our belongings. We went inside and Jake dinged the little bell.

A tired and bored looking middle-aged woman came out of a backroom. She smelt of cigarette smoke and lighter fluid. I resisted curling my nose up at the unpleasant smell. She peered between us both.

'You are both 18 right?' She asked

Jake and I nodded and she didn't even bother asking for some I.D. She just clicked away on the little computer.

'Double bed?' She asked

Jake shook his head 'No a twin if you have one'

She nodded and made a few clicks 'Waiting for the wedding?' She asked sarcastically

Jake curled his lip in distaste but after everything that had happened today it didn't shock me and I had to disguise a snort of laughter. Jake elbowed me discreetly, throwing an evil glance my way. The woman smirked but didn't say anything. She just handed us a key.

'Room 208, up the flight of stairs. Pay in the morning, breakfast is optional and served at eight am. Anything you take from the bar will be added to your tab as will the bill for breakfast. Hope you enjoy your stay with us and good night' She said it robotically

Jake nodded awkwardly and I followed him up the stairs, trying not to laugh. He just rolled his eyes and hurried me along. Once we got into the room I could smell one of the last inhabitants had been a baby. The milky, warm but slightly comforting smell babies carried about them lingered and I immediately thought of Nicky. Granted he usually smelled of wherever he'd been but that soft skin smell was a scent he still carried even at two years old. I excused myself quickly and rushed into the bathroom.

I shut the lid of the toilet and ignored the acidic bleach smell which effectively cleaned the baby smell out of my nose and allowed myself a few more tears. I hadn't said a goodbye to Nicky purposely so he didn't get upset but now I wished I could've scooped him up into a big cuddle. The pull of being so far away from him was like an elastic band. It had stretched nearly to its limit and the urge to let it drag me back was literally a physical ache deep in my chest. I wiped my tears away and thumped my fists on my knees.

'Come on Selena, pull yourself together' I told myself sternly

I stood up and looked in the mirror. The deep purple bruise adorning my cheekbone had already faded to a light yellow, almost unnoticeable. I had packed a light amount of makeup so I knew a small amount of foundation would cover it up tomorrow and no one would be any the wiser. My ribs still ached though. I splashed my face with cold water which cooled my hot cheeks but the red rims around my eyes stayed. I decided a hot shower and bed would probably do me good.

I left the bathroom calmly. Jake barely looked up at me, he was deep in his own thoughts, he looked like he was struggling processing everything himself. When I unzipped my bag though, he looked up at the sudden noise.

'I think I'd like a shower' I told him

He was studying my face 'That bruise is nearly gone. You must have accelerated healing'

'Yeah, my friend told me I might have. It's difficult to know though, what I can do compared to a normal Lycanthropic' I replied

'Let me look at that cut you had earlier' Jake said

I nodded and pulled my sleeve up. Jake held my arm and pressed the skin around it. It didn't hurt much and he seemed satisfied and backed away from me.

'It's not bad now, you'll be able to shower without opening it up again' Jake told me

'Oh well, at least we don't have to worry about me if we run into trouble' I replied

He nodded and looked down at his hands thoughtfully. I got the feeling he wanted to say something so I waited patiently. He looked up again and I was startled by the amount of emotion on his face.

'I'm really sorry you know. I never wanted any of this for you. I've ruined your life' He said

I put down my things carefully and sat next to him on his bed. Thoughts ran through my head at ten miles an hour.

'If you think about it Jake, this was always going to happen with what I am' I said carefully 'When we left England, my memories of it feel like it was a quick decision and we rushed to do it. I wonder if my mother was fleeing with me'

'Really?' Jake asked

'Yeah. I wish so badly I could ask her' I told him

We sat in quiet but the atmosphere had shifted again. The silence didn't feel heavy or awkward now, it was companionable. I realised I hadn't noticed Jake's scent and I took a quick inhale through my nose. The familiar scent suddenly masked the baby smell in the room. I had a feeling the more delicate scent wouldn't be discernable again now under the far more intense aroma Jake carried.

I showered quickly, put on my pyjamas and wrapped the towel around my head to soak up the extra moisture in my hair. Jake showered after me and while he was in I dried my hair with the hairdryer provided in the motel and found that the long curtain next to my bed was covering quite a small window. But it was large enough for me to open and stick my head out.

The familiar breeze and scent of outdoor air filled my senses and soothed me. The smell of New York had always been a mixed up and slightly crazy scent for me to muddle through but the smell out here was fresh and clean. I took another deep breath to savour it, allowing my senses to become fully immersed by it. I pulled my loose hair over my shoulder and pulled my fingers through it, comforted by the smooth feeling.

XxXxX

Jake got out of the shower and dressed in his own pyjamas and dried his hair off with the towel. He'd used a motel one, having not thought of bringing one of his own like Selena had.

He left the bathroom, immediately smelling fresh air. Then he noticed why. Selena had pulled the curtain back, opened the window and was now stood looking out. She'd left her hair loose and he watched a few loose tendrils flitting across her back in the breeze. Her pyjama top was a black vest with thin spaghetti straps but it dipped quite low on her back revealing more of her tanned skin than he was used to seeing and the straps crossed over on her back.

He suddenly had a strong desire to stoke one of his fingers down the groove in between her shoulder blades to test how soft her skin might be. As he studied the skin on her back she shifted her stance and the toned muscles on her back flexed slightly. It seemed to snap him out of his boyish daydream and he shook his head, tearing his vision away from her.

XxXxX

I heard Jake exit from the bathroom but I wasn't ready to pull myself away from the soothing scent of outdoors yet. His scent reached me though even through the outdoor air but a different sensation had crossed me.

I could feel him watching me, studying me. I held myself still, just allowing him to. I wondered if he were sizing me up, estimating how much of a threat I could be to him. Eventually though a dead feeling had developed in the leg I was leaning most of my weight on and I shifted uncomfortably.

He looked away from me and I heard the sheets of his bed move as he got into it. I wasn't quite ready to pull myself away from the window yet. I was slightly fearful we might be found in the night and I might never be able to smell the outdoors again. Eventually though, exhaustion from the day caught up with me and I had to pull myself away and shut the window.

Jake had got his back turned to me but I could tell from his breathing that he wasn't asleep yet. He was tense. I pulled the curtain shut and got into bed. He'd already shut his own lamp off and I leaned over to do the same. I kept my back turned to him as well and shifted to get comfortable.

My brain was still moving at a million miles an hour. Eventually Jake's breathing evened out and lengthened and I could tell he'd succumbed himself. It was into the early hours that I also dropped to sleep.


	8. Chapter 7 Saving It For the Honeymoon?

Jake woke quite early and rolled over to find why. The curtains weren't very good and were letting a great deal of morning light into the room. It sounded like Selena had also left the window open slightly because he could hear birds twittering away outside.

Then he glanced down at Selena. She was still on her side and she looked like she'd tossed and turned a bit during the night. Her covers were rumpled up around her, wrapped around her legs. Her hair was also tangled around her head and shoulders. Her breathing was heavy though, like she'd only just reached that stage of sleep.

He looked at his watch. Five thirty am. He groaned and threw his arm over his eyes with impatience. He knew it was too early to get up but the noise coming in through the window was too loud to allow him to doze off again. He knew Selena had far more sensitive hearing than he did and he was slightly surprised it hadn't woken her up.

Deciding it would be best to shut the window so he could get another hour in and she wouldn't be stirred prematurely. He sat up and as quietly as he could, slid out from under his covers. He padded as slowly and quietly as he could across the creaky floor until his foot found a loud creak.

Jake's head flicked up to Selena as he steadied himself. She shifted and made a tiny sigh but stayed asleep. He gave a small sigh of relief himself and made it to the window. His suspicion was right; she'd left the window open a slight amount. The air around this side of the room smelt quite fresh and he realised the outdoor must have had a comforting smell to her.

He shut the window carefully, feeling slightly guilty but knowing at least she'd get a fuller amount of sleep. He looked down at her. Her hair had covered her face in her sleep and one of her legs stuck out clumsily from underneath the covers and over the side of the bed. He watched her for a second, assessing her. She was quite deep in sleep; a soft snore confirmed it for him.

As carefully as he could, he slid her leg back onto the bed and covered it over again. He was just about to go back to his own bed but he stopped and looked up at her face again. Curiosity took over and he reached up and in the single most gentle and careful movement he'd ever made, he swept her hair out of her face.

Her expression wasn't exactly peaceful and he felt a slight pang. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed and her nose slightly wrinkled. She had a few goosepimples on her arm and he very carefully untangled the cover slightly from around her legs and pulled it up higher over her arm and stroked one last strand of rogue hair out of her face.

He made his way back to his bed, being careful to avoid the creak in the floor. He slid back into bed and managed to drop back to sleep.

XxXxX

I woke up slowly, aware of movement in the room I was in. For a second I laid and listened to Jake moving around. It sounded like he was moving things around in his bag. I tried to ignore it for as long as possible but the reality was that we had to keep moving if we were going to make California without being caught. I sat up and pushed my hair out of my face. Jake looked up and smiled brightly.

'Morning sleepy head' He greeted me

I just kind of made a grunting noise, pulled all my toiletries out of my bag and stumbled into the bathroom. I washed my face, cleaned my teeth, brushed my hair and then tied it back into the customary ponytail. Feeling fresher and ready to tackle the day ahead, I left the bathroom. As I was pulling the bed back together Jake was sat on his watching me.

'So I've been thinking about what you said' He told me

'What do you mean?'

'About your wer-lycanthropic friend'

'Bryce?' I asked

'Yeah. I think as a general plan it's more put together than my, keep on the move plan. Would he be willing to protect you?' Jake asked

'I'm not sure, from what you say he'll already be heavily watched. He's told me about a group of underground lycanthropics though. I can only imagine it's a group who keep hidden to avoid being tagged' I said with a frown

'Jesus. I wonder how many aren't actually tagged' Jake wondered

'Well, I assume maybe your council doesn't know as soon as a new lycanthromorphic being is made all the time. It's entirely possible that some slip under the radar. Especially in my case...I wonder how many more like me might be out there'

'I think there could be more than anticipated' Jake replied

'Let's just get to California, I'll be able to track him down once we get there but that'll be the riskiest time I think' I said

'Why?' Jake asked

'I'll have to transform to track him down. In my human state my senses are stronger than average yes but it's far easier to follow a scent as a wolf' I told him

Jake didn't reply right away. I could practically see the cogs turning in his head, weighing up the pros and cons of this area of my plan.

'I followed your scent from your house to your Grandpa's shop' I told him

'As a wolf?' Jake asked, alarm in his voice

'Yes but don't worry. My wolf form is smaller than regular lycanthropics and my pale olour looks more like a domestic dog anyway' I shrugged

Jake didn't look too impressed so I quickly went back to tucking the duvet of my bed back under the mattress where I'd found it the night before. I gathered my clothes and got dressed in the bathroom and packed up all my things. Jake gathered his own belongings and we left the motel room.

The day receptionist was much nicer than the night one and he signed us out quickly and we were back out in the open. As soon as I could feel the breeze on my face I felt like dancing but instead I took a huge inhale of fresh air and sighed in contentment. Jake watched with a mildly amused expression on his face. I stuck my tongue out at him in return.

We found the nearest coach station and planned a route. We decided it was best to go in a straight line straight through the middle of America. It would take time and by the time we'd got to California we'd have crossed eleven states including New Jersey where we currently were. I secretly cursed the fact we'd moved to California when we'd got to America.

We located a coach that would travel all the way to Pennsylvania. I heard Jake muttering to himself about it being riddled with Vampires and I wondered if he was having a morbid joke to himself or whether he was being serious. I didn't dare ask either.

We booked the tickets and had time to get some breakfast before we had to board and then we departed. The ride was slow, due to the fact that it made regular stops in various towns we didn't even bother to make a note of the names of. I dozed while Jake had bought a map and was finding out where various motels were and places we could eat.

We had plenty of time to talk to one another too. Jake shared a lot of secrets with me I could tell he kept close to himself. He told me a bit about his family history and some of his adventures. He told me about his role as the American Dragon and how he mostly stuck to his own territory of New York but sometimes his job as protector took him out of the city. It made the previously awkward atmosphere clear a little bit.

'I truly am sorry you know' He said eventually as we crossed the border between New Jersey and into Pennsylvania.

'I know Jake. It's just one of those things' I replied 'I've been needing to go and see Bryce anyway'

'Why?'

I tensed. I'd not told anyone but Emily about my restlessness during a full moon. I didn't know how Jake would take it, one of the biggest reasons I was sure had convinced him to protect me had been because I had control. I still did but it was getting harder to resist the call of the moon while it was full. I decided honesty was the best policy from now on.

He took it well. He told me it was understandable. He reasoned that underneath the diluted genetics I carried, it was still an impulse to respond to a normally compulsive aspect of my kind.

'Do you know about Wolfsbane?' He asked

'I've heard of it in myths' I replied

'It's an actual potion. I've never seen it mixed and I've never needed to use it. It might be an idea to try and get Fu to research it. At the next rest stop I'll call him' Jake suggested

'Is that a good idea?' I asked

'As a possible suppressant for you it might be' Jake replied 'I don't know enough about it though. I'm not sure whether it's a suppressant or a weapon to be honest'

I scoffed slightly 'Probably both. Your cancel probably have silver bullets too'

'Is that true?' Jake asked 'Silver allergies?'

'Yeah. I'm allergic to silver. I can't wear silver jewellery without wherever I'm wearing it to go all irritated and rashy' I replied

'That must be a pain' He replied

'It is' I agreed

'I'm allergic to penicillin' Jake revealed

I allowed myself a small laugh 'That's quite a common allergy'

'Alright well I have a rare blood type' Jake tormented

'Oh really?' I replied

'Yeah and you will never know' He tormented

'Right because that's a piece of information I'm dying to have about you' I replied sarcastically

Jake chuckled but went back to his map. At the next rest stop, I went in to get some food while Jake used a payphone to contact Fu Dog. His news about home wasn't too good. The Dragon Council had been on Emily all through last night but luckily she hadn't caved and told them anything. Jake's mother had taken Nicky to the childminders for her that morning and was currently keeping her company. More promising news for me was that Fu Dog had managed to convince Lao Shi I wasn't dangerous and they were both currently appealing to launch an investigation into natural-born Lycanthropics.

Trixie and Spud had been on the verge of following us but Lao Shi and Fu Dog had managed to convince them that it was best for them to go along as normal. Jake and I had both been called in sick at school but it was only a matter of time before a different excuse would have to be made as to why both of us were absent at the same time.

With full bellies and confused states of minds, we got back on the coach for the next stretch to the far side of Pennsylvania. I slept most of it away and I think Jake slept quite a lot too. I woke up at the end of the journey with my head leaning on Jake's shoulder and his head leaning on mine. We found a diner and ate better than last night and found another motel.

We encountered problems with that one right away. They only had double beds available and Jake stuck to what he had said the previous night. He made up a bed on the floor but the floor was tiled and I listened to him fidgeting for about half an hour before losing my patience.

'Oh for god's sake Jake! Just get in the stupid bed and have done with it!'

He sat up abruptly 'Say wha?'

'You heard me' I replied testily

'Are you sure?'

'We're both mature! Besides neither of us will get any sleep at this rate and the bed's big enough for two. We've got to get across Ohio tomorrow and we want to be rested' I replied

I turned my back to him as he awkwardly put his pillow back on the bed and slid in next to me. After that I fell asleep quickly, surprisingly feeling comforted by the scent of him being in such close proximity and the warmth of someone else in the bed.

XxXxX

I woke at some point during the night and fidgeted. I quickly discovered why I'd woken. During the night Jake had rolled over and he'd thrown his arm across me and was laid quite close. He was radiating warmth and his scent was filling my nose.

Instead of being uncomfortable with this close proximity, I found it quite pleasant. As I fidgeted slightly Jake sighed in his sleep and shifted closer. His hard chest pressed lightly against my back and I stiffened, wondering how he'd react if he woke up. I managed to get comfortable and I snuggled down into the pillow and went back to sleep, feeling comforted by the warmth Jake was giving.

XxXxX

Again, Jake woke first the next day. Before opening his eyes he could tell something was different. He'd never felt so warm after waking up before. He opened his eyes and found to his embarrassment that while he'd slept he'd rolled over and cuddled into Selena.

His chest was pressed against her back, her hair was everywhere on the pillow and his head was resting on top of some of it. His arm was resting lazily over her in the curve of her waist. He found that she was softer than he had thought considering the toned nature of her muscles.

It took a great deal of effort to pry himself away from her and leave the warmth of the bed. He looked at his phone and found two text messages.

_Hey Kid,_

_I looked up Wolfsbane for you but it's no go._

_It's more of a weapon than a suppressant,_

_It's got silver in it. Seeing as Selena is_

_Allergic to silver it wouldn't be the_

_Best idea to give it to her. The appeal is _

_Going well, Gramps and I have been appealing_

_For support in the streets of Magas Bizzare and_

_It seems people are interested in learning_

_About werewolves. Take care of yourselves_

_Fu _

Jake sighed in exasperation. He knew they'd make it to California well before the full moon but he was worried about where they'd be and who they'd be with. What if they were with her lycanthropic friend and he transformed?

His second message was from his mother. She was worried and Emily was apparently distraught but they both wished them well and told them to be careful.

Jake made moves to get ready but before he went to the shower he walked around the bed to check on Selena again. She certainly looked more peaceful than she had the previous night and the sheets weren't as rumpled but he found that her foot was hanging over the bed again. He let himself chuckle quietly as he pushed her foot back into the bed. She was certainly endearing.


	9. Chapter 8 Smelly Coaches

_Haven't done a disclaimer in awhile so I'd better do one...I clearly don't own American Dragon or else I would've fought harder to keep it airing. I do own the characters you don't recognise from the show though. _

XxXxX

The coach was awfully hot and as a result the people inside it had made an incredibly strong smell of sweat. I'd got the window open but it wasn't enough. There was no way I could possibly sleep I was so uncomfortable with the smell so I was stuck with it. Jake kept throwing me concerned glances until we got off at the service station. I practically threw myself off the coach and took deep cleansing breaths through my nose. Jake watched me curiously but also concerned.

'Are you alright? You look really pale, almost green' He commented

'Well if you had a sense of smell as sensitive as mine you wouldn't appreciate a coach full of people who don't seem to have ever come across the term "personal hygiene"' I told him

Jake winced 'I did think it wasn't very pleasant but I didn't think it was that bad'

I pulled a face, I felt like my nose was cleansed to the point where I might be able to bare eating something. We ate quietly and Jake seemed slightly off. I was aware he'd woken up first and I knew he'd probably found the position we'd been in. It was the only explanation for his sudden tense attitude. I decided I might as well clear the air before we got back on the coach.

'So, I woke up during the night' I said

Jake visibly stiffened 'Oh right?'

I folded back a lock of hair; I'd decided to leave my hair loose today. It was proving to be more comfortable while leaning my head back that if it was tied in a ponytail.

'Yeah' I paused 'You were cuddling me'

Jake choked on a sip of his drink but thankfully didn't spit it everywhere. He caught his breath quickly though and immediately started stammering.

'Look that's why I said I should've slept on the fl-I didn't mean to-I promise, I only have honourable intentions towards y...I'm really sorry' He finished

I raised a brow slightly but didn't comment on his anxiety to soothe me 'Would you like me to be blunt?'

Jake frowned 'I'm not sure, would you like to be?'

'Yes'

'Okay well, go ahead. Be blunt'

'I really didn't mind'

Jake's eyebrows furrowed 'You didn't?'

'No. In fact it was rather comforting' I replied with a small smile

Jake offered an awkward grin back 'So you're not offended?'

'Of course not! Like I said it was comforting, I slept better'

'We can share a bed from now on if you like'

I raised an eyebrow and Jake blushed furiously. I let the awkward silence linger slightly but Jake cut it off first.

'I meant that if it was comforting for you and helped you sleep...I'll shut up now'

I let a small giggle out at his adorable stuttering. Who would've thought that Jake Long, who's always conducted himself as if he was the epitome of confidence, was left stumbling over his words at the prospect of sharing a bed with me? I smiled at him.

'Relax Jake please. I know you meant no harm' I told him

'Thats...good' He nodded

I looked down at my watch 'Eugh, time to go back to the sweat box'

As we walked back towards the coach I heard him mutter to himself 'Why is it always the blondes?'

The rest of the journey was slightly easier now things weren't awkward again but I was gradually getting more and more queasy again. By the time we reached the last stop I was almost gagging.

XxXxX

Jake was still feeling apprehensive over going to California to meet this Bryce. Who was this person from Selena's past? She spoke highly of him and Jake wasn't sure what the amount of positivity meant. Was she trying to get him to warm to this person before they'd met or did she have feelings for him? Whoever this person was, he and Selena were definitely close.

Jake wasn't sure how to feel about that. He was happy for Selena that she trusted someone with her secrets and that she clearly had someone other than Emily to fall back on. But was he envious that someone had managed to get that close to Selena?

XxXxX

_I know this was an extremely short chapter, especially compared to the length of chapters I have been writing but don't worry, the next one will be extra long to make up for it and I am already writing it so it won't take me long. _

_Bryce will be making his first appearance in the next chapter too. Tell me what you think so far pleeaaase._

_Thank you to those who have been reviewing. I enjoy reading them and they really give a boost to keep going. I'll give a shout out (or a write out) next chapter! _


	10. Chapter 9 California

_You know the drill, I don't own American Dragon but Selena, Emily, Nicky and Bryce belong to me!_

_I believe I wrote that this update 'won't take me long' in my author's note on the end of the last chapter. All I can say is I'm really sorry it did take me longer than anticipated, I have no excuse other than I hit really terrible writer's block about halfway in and had no clue as to what to do. I've ended up inventing an entire new character with their own storyline to get myself out of it that I can honestly say; I had no intention of doing! _

_I must warn you that this character has some slight things that may offend some people or possibly gross some people out or I'm freaking out about nothing but please please don't judge me for thinking it up or judge the character either...they have some big big connections and I have big plot ideas running in my head for them. _

_I also said Bryce would make his first appearance in this chapter but I'm going to have to postpone that until the next chapter. Really sorry about that but I had to make room for my new character. _

_Enough babble, on with the chapter!_

XxXxX

We had finally made it to California ten days after we'd first left New York. Since getting through Nevada and Utah were two short journeys we pushed through overnight to the other side of California to Los Angeles. I stepped off the coach and breathed in the hot Californian air. The scent was familiar and I allowed myself a few minutes to reacquaint myself with it before turning to Jake.

'Let's find a hotel or something and dump the bags. I want to get started on searching right away' I told him

'California is a huge state. How do you know he's even still here?' Jake asked

'He's been here his whole life and never left' I replied

'Oh, and how old is he?' Jake asked

I frowned; there was a slight edge to his voice that I didn't miss. I just hoisted my bag higher up my back and trudged along.

'I remember a hotel along the beach front' I replied

Jake huffed but didn't comment on me blatantly ignoring his question. I figured he must still be cautious about Bryce being Lycanthromorphic and he didn't need to know that he was a lot older. That or he was jealous of him.

We found the hotel, booked the room. The last few places we'd stayed we hadn't even bothered with separate beds, especially after we discovered most of the time it was cheaper. I sat on one side of the bed cross legged, Jake sat on the couch.

'How are we going to do this?' He asked

'I think waiting until nightfall would be best. That way I can transform and there won't be as many people about'

'I thought about asking Fu if he had any contacts here we could ask' Jake suggested 'That way you don't have to transform at all and risk someone seeing you and reporting it'

'Asking about a particular Lycanthropic's location is still risky but it's not a bad idea. Whichever way we play it we're going to be taking a risk' I told him

'I know but someone might decide to capture you if they see you. Lycanthropics fetch a good sum in bounty' Jake replied

The thought of someone catching any Lycanthropic for money made me tingle with fury but I held back. It was just over two weeks until the next full moon. I wanted to have found Bryce before then.

Fu Dog had been in touch nearly every other day. He and his Grandpa had made a few advances in getting an investigation launched and the council had also backed off bothering Emily. That meant mostly normal life had resumed for Nicky's sake but she was still frightened.

She'd been looking amongst old documents that Mum had left for us in hopes of finding my birth certificate and giving me my father's name. Since I had never asked it had never been mentioned.

'I'll give him a call' Jake said softly

I nodded. I was slightly annoyed at the fact Jake was reluctant for me to transform. I was seriously craving being in a form that felt as right as being human. I didn't see the harm seeing as I could choose when to do it but I could see the risks. It didn't stop me wanting to do it though. I was half listening to Jake talking, seeing as it had gotten to the point where not only his scent was soothing but his voice was too, and wondering how I might get away with a transformation.

'What do you mean?' Jake asked seriously

I snapped my head up to attention; I knew that tone meant no good.

'Who is this person? Have we dealt with them before?...I thought bounty hunters were a black market thing...Whatever happens, keep me posted. And keep an eye on Emily and Nicky in case they target them!...Whatever it takes Fu! Get Hayley and Sun on it if needs be...Thank you, talk soon'

Jake cut the call off and by now my heart was fluttering with nerves.

'What was that about?' I asked 'What did you mean about Emily and Nicky getting targeted?'

Jake ran a hand through his hair 'It seems that ogre did as we asked and didn't go back to that Warlock. He was found a few days ago, he'd been slain and to top it off the same Warlock has put a bounty out on you'

'Well I have to go home! I have to protect Emily and Nicky!' I started frantically

Jake strode across the room and gripped my shoulders. He gave a slight shake to get my attention.

'Lee, listen to me. No one is going to harm Emily or Nicky. They will be watched at all times by my family. My Grandfather is one of the most respected dragons out there and Sun Parker is one of the best warriors I've known' Jake soothed

'But what if they slip past? Nicky is two years old Jake!'

I was no longer fighting to pull away but I could still feel tears of sheer panic building in my eyes. Jake pulled me into a hug and I gladly buried his face into his chest. Over the days spent travelling I'd explained to Jake how strong his scent was and confessed that I found it very soothing and comforting. As a result Jake had been a lot physically closer to me, giving hugs when I was worried or scared.

'Nothing is going to happen to them. They will be fine. Let's just worry about you, why this Warlock is so anxious to get hold of you and why he'd kill in retaliation to that ogre's failure' Jake replied

I pulled back 'I have no idea why someone would be like that over me. I've never done anything to anyone, not done anything particularly special and I certainly have no idea what a Warlock might want with me' I replied

Jake backed away slightly and ran his hand through his hair again 'We need to get this Bryce found don't we?'

'Yes' I replied

Jake nodded 'But first, we need to get some sleep and then see this dog Fu has told me to ask about finding Lycanthropics'

I nodded 'Alright'

We simply laid on the bed without even bothering to put our pyjamas on or get into the bed. Jake put his arm over me, an act which had once been awkward but was now familiar. I drifted off quickly.

XxXxX

Jake laid awake, listening to Selena breathing as she slept. He didn't know who to be more worried over, the Warlock or the bounty hunter he'd sent after Selena. He was highly dangerous and also one of the most wanted people in the magic world. He had a notorious reputation and he very rarely didn't find what he was looking for.

Jake squeezed Selena slightly and laid his head close to her hair. He might soothe her with his scent but he found her delicate cashmere like scent equally relaxing. He had grown to care very much for her over the time they'd spent travelling and he knew he couldn't fail her.

XxXxX

A few hours later we were up again. The sun was lower in the sky now and cooler. Jake was again on the phone to Fu Dog. I didn't listen until he cut the call off and looked up at me.

'Did you hear any of that?' He asked

'No' I replied

He rolled his eyes 'For someone who has sharper hearing you don't seem to pick anything up!'

I rolled my own eyes back and Jake shook his head before continuing 'It's a set of weird instructions. You have to go to the San Gorgonio Wilderness, head straight north up into Silverwood Falls. Search for a clear area and then transform and howl'

I frowned 'Really?'

'Yeah. I'm just worrying about the time it will take to get to the mountains. We can't exactly walk there from here and a pointless coach ride seems a bit expensive'

'It's not pointless if it's our only option'

'It isn't though' Jake replied 'I can fly you know'

I looked at him in confusion before slapping my hand to my forehead 'You're a dragon! Of course!'

'I can fly us a few miles much quicker than any bus can take us' Jake told me

I looked around the room blankly 'Well, can you carry the bags?'

Jake smirked 'Oh yeah. I can carry you too'

I smiled at his joke but I looked out of the window at the fact that it was still sunny.

'We can't go now surely? People will see you' I told him

Jake shrugged 'How about we get something to eat? We can both shower and gussy ourselves up a bit and get some nice food?'

I looked at him happily 'You want to do that?'

'Of course! We could be on the verge of getting you to safety. Why not celebrate?' Jake asked

XxXxX

Later that evening Jake was waiting for Selena to emerge from the bathroom. She'd taken her clothes and her make-up in there and had been nearly an hour. He was beside himself with anxiety. His attraction to Selena was getting stronger, so much so that he was struggling to keep himself calm around her and not lose his mind.

That kiss in her home he'd given her was steadily polluting his mind. Her lips had been so soft, softer than Rose's had been. He slapped himself mentally.

_Stop comparing her to Rose! _He chastised himself

There was a click from the bathroom lock and Selena stepped out. She was wearing a pair of slightly tighter jeans than this morning and a flowery blouse which showed off her delicate looking collar bone, far sexier than an ample cleavage in his opinion. She had left her hair loose, the soft looking honey waves fell softly around her face. She was looking at the floor shyly. Jake had never seen Selena look so insecure and he immediately stood up to reassure her.

She politely looked up to give him eye contact and Jake noticed she'd enhanced her pale green eyes with a light line of brown eyeliner and coated her long, normally pale, eyelashes with a slick of black mascara. The subtle make up had a noticeable effect. Her eyes went from cute and pretty to elegant and beautiful. Jake lost his words in his throat and Selena looked at him expectantly.

'What?' She asked

Jake swallowed slightly 'You look good, really good'

Her cheeks went slightly pink and Jake allowed himself a moment of inner-pride. She didn't blush often at all. Was it a sign? Did he effect her the same way she effected him?

'Thank you' She replied

They left the hotel and stepped out into the Californian sunshine. Jake noticed the very slight smile that tugged at the corner's of Selena's mouth. He realised that she like the sun and really if she'd grown up here, he couldn't blame her.

'Well, this is your city. Where's the best place to eat?' Jake asked

XxXxX

I thought carefully, there were so many places I'd missed and really wanted to go back to but I knew we didn;t have long and I'd have to narrow it down.

'Well, what are you hungry for?' I asked

'It would be a shame to not see the beach or something. Do you know of any good hot dog stands?' Jake asked

I bit my lip, trying not to allow an excited smile to break loose or else I'd literally crack my jaw.

'I know the perfect one! Not many people know about it. It's down on New Port beach' I told him excitedly

We took off walking. Conversation flowed easily and we managed to get along so naturally. If things hadn't been so uprooted I wouldn't have hesitated in trying to pursue some kind of relationship with Jake. Despite the fact he was a mythical creature but I could hardly talk, I was a werewolf!

We got to the stand where Jake ordered a chilli-cheese dog and I had chilli with mayo. He insisted on paying and I tried not to smile to myself as the guy on the stand gave me a coy grin. We found some space on the beach and sat down on the sand to enjoy our food.

'How could you bare to leave this?' Jake asked

I looked up at him, a slight frown on my face. He seemed to sense my confusion and he tried to clarify.

'You clearly love it here. I can see you smile when you get in the sun, you were so excited over that food stand and you look so content sat here on the sand. How have you coped?' Jake asked

I hadn't realised he'd picked up so much from me. I ran my fingers through the sand thoughtfully 'I do love it here, you're right. Even though I wasn't born here, I think of myself as a Californian. But I'd never allow sun, sea and sand to separate me and my family. My Mum meant everything to me and Emily and Nicky still do. So that's why I followed them'

Jake nodded 'Yeah, family is really important'

I nodded in agreement. We sat in silence for awhile, admiring the area. I tilted my head back, smelling the salty air greedily. Jake chuckled next to me, breaking me out of my reverie.

'What?' I asked

'You're just funny; I've only just noticed how much you smell things. It seems so obvious now. I don't know why I didn't spot it from the beginning' He replied

I wrinkled my nose in mock offence 'Well if you had my sense of smell you wouldn't waste it. The bad smells smell really bad but there's no scent like fresh air, the differences depending on where you are, are so interesting to me'

Jake chuckled again but he didn't comment any further. I went back to enjoying the smell of the air but the wind had changed direction and it was now mixing Jake's scent with the salty air. I let my eyes slide closed as I enjoyed the mix of scents. Eventually though it was time to leave and we made our way back to the motel to pack our things away.

We located a park that was wooded and headed there. I was slightly nervous, I'd seen Jake's dragon form only briefly and I couldn't properly remember it thinking back. I must've hit my head pretty hard to make me forget about that and I was pretty frustrated at myself for it. When we got there, Jake peered at me.

'Don't get scared or anything' He said nervously

I shook my head and tried to grin 'I won't'

He gave me a nod and took a few steps back 'Dragon up!'

His body was immediately engulfed in flames, I could see why he took a few steps back but I still jumped backwards in alarm. Jake's signature scent went up tenfold if that was even possible in a quick burst until the flames died back. In Jake's place a huge dragon was stood there. I let out a gasp of disbelief and took a careful step forward.

Jake was stood on his hind legs but he went down onto all fours so he was eye level with me. I reached out hesitantly and ran my fingers down the hard leathery scales from his forehead right to the tip of his nose before letting out a laugh. Jake let a small chuckle out of his own.

'It's amazing' I grinned

The corners of Jake's lips lifted into a smile. He carried the bag's in his front claws after helping me clamber onto the area at the base of his neck, just in front of his wings.

'Hang on' He told me

He took off slowly but the air buffeted around from the flaps of his wings. I lunged forwards and wrapped my arms around his neck. Soon we were higher in the air though and Jake used warm updrafts of air to rise making it calmer for me. The view was amazing but I was a bit frightened by the fact that all I had to do was lean over slightly and I could easily fall.

'I've never carried anyone on my back while flying before' Jake shouted above the rush of air

'Really?' I asked loudly

'No, so hang on' He told me

He took off flying. At first, because it was unlike anything I'd ever felt before, I was a bit frightened but once I got used to it I found I was quite enjoying it but the fear factor never left. It took us about half an hour by air to get where we needed to go. The landing was also slightly buffeting but not as bad as the takeoff. Jake transformed as soon as I was clear of him. We shouldered our bags and looked around.

'Is this a tourist area?' I asked, pointing towards a sign

'Looks like it' Jake replied

We followed the signs for Silverwood Falls, eventually getting to a clearing. I dropped the bag I was carrying and inhaled the air. There was no wind so I couldn't pick anything up except what was in the clearing; Jake's scent was over-powering everything anyway.

'You have to howl' Jake told me

I nodded. I'd not transformed in so long I was frightnened I'd forgotten how to do it but the familiar emotions flowed through me and I transformed immediately. The freedom that I always felt came back and I let a high pitched yip escape. I turned to look at Jake, he had a blank face but I could tell he was impressed. My wolf form though larger than most domestic dogs and very regular wolf sized I knew was impressive. My golden fur was on the long-haired side and very soft, my green eyes stood out because it was rare for canines to possess green eyes.

I padded softly over to Jake and nosed his arm before standing beside him. I'd never howled before, not to summon anything anyway. I looked up at Jake and he looked down at me.

'You've not done it before have you?' Jake asked

I couldn't reply out loud or in his head so I let out a small whimper. His eyes softened and he ruffled the fur on my head. I stepped a few steps away from him, took a deep breath, looked up at the moon which was half full and let out the loudest howl I could.

To say it was loud wouldn't describe it enough. It echoed around the clearing and seemed to ricochet through the trees around us. I looked back at Jake once I was finished and he had his fingers stuffed in his ears and he was looking at me, his dark eyes wide. Slowly he took his fingers from his ears.

'Well...that was...loud'

I let out a giggle but it came out more like a hyena laugh and Jake bust up laughing in response. My ears twitched and I jerked my head around. A replying howl echoed back and I felt my chest swell with pride at what I'd done but then I jumped in surprise.

_I have heard your call she-wolf. I will be with you shortly_

I transformed back into a human and Jake jogged over to me.

'You alright?' He asked

I nodded slowly 'Yeah. The contact just spoke in my head...in canine...I think it's another Lycanthropic'

Jake's eyebrows furrowed 'We knew it was another canine. Fu Dog said it was a dog we should contact'

'That was no dog. The language was too fluent. Even canine from a dog can be a bit broken. Snow never communicated with me in words, just pictures and emotions' My voice trembled slightly as I thought about my beautiful companion. Jake seemed to sense it and he put his arm around my shoulders.

'I will make sure you can go home' He told me

I nodded, not daring to speak in case I crumbled. I'd stayed strong so far and I wasn't going to break now. Jake simply put his other arm around me and drew me into a reassuring hug. I buried my face into his chest and simply breathed in his scent.

We stayed like that for about fifteen minutes but then the air changed. I jerked as soon as I sensed it and I looked around. It was like the air had gone still. A smell that wasn't all too unfamiliar came to me but I knew I'd never scented it before. It was like déjà vu. Jake knew something was happening but he didn't speak, he just took his arms away and just as he did, a huge wolf stepped into the clearing.

I knew it was a male from him speaking to me but I could tell he was a male immediately, his scent gave it away. He stepped right out to look at me. He was at least the size of a pony with fur the same colour as my wolf form which I was surprised to see, I knew Lycanthropics had darker pelts. His eyes matched his fur being golden coloured too.

I took a cautious step towards him but paused; it was like my sensed were on high alert and I could sense Jake's caution and nerves. I reached back and held onto his hand. I glanced back at him and he gave a short nod to me. I let my fingers slip from his hand and I closed the gap between me and the wolf. He looked at me appraisingly, as if he was assessing me. I stood stock still as he inspected me. He walked once around me before coming to face me again

_I have been expecting you. Both of you_ He told me

I furrowed my eyebrows _What do you mean? _

_It's a long story and now is not the time. I have known for awhile that a she-wolf of hybrid blood and a dragon would come to see me_

I looked back at Jake in alarm and he immediately took a step forwards but held back cautiously. I looked back to the wolf to see his eyes glittering in amusement. He stepped forwards himself and looked up at Jake.

_It's no use, he won't underst-_

'Greetings American Dragon'

Jake jumped in surprise and my mouth fell open. The wolf let out a low rumble in his chest and I realised it was amusement. He didn't pause for either of us to comment though.

'There isn't much time and I know what you are here for. You are looking for a Lycanthromorphic named Andrew Bryce?' The wolf asked

I nodded, Jake was beside me now. His fingers wound in mine again. I could practically feel a protective air coming from him.

'He is with a large and organised group of hidden Lycanthropics now. He's dropped from the radar and the Dragons are looking for him which makes it more difficult for you. You've both been linked already; the dragon's spies go deep' The wolf told me

'Did Bryce have to hide because of me?' I asked

'No, He went into hiding shortly before you began to travel. But the dragons linked you both. They actually had some idea of your existence but your mother moved you before they could tag you'

I gasped. I had wondered if that was why we'd moved. Jake jumped in though.

'Are you saying Lee's mother moved her because of the dragons?' He asked

'Yes. Your father warned her, Selena. He was already tagged as a Lycanthropic and your parent's tried to keep your existence a secret but as I said; the dragon's spies go deep and they were told about you'

I looked up at Jake and his hand squeezed mine. We were both shocked.

'This is a surprise?' The wolf asked

I struggled to answer 'My father?' I simply asked in amazement

'Your father loved you very much, as he loved your mother but he felt you and your mother's needs were greater than his own and he let you both go' The wolf told me

My eyes filled with tears. I'd missed out on a relationship with my father all these years but I understood why it had been done. I didn't want to lay blame on Jake's council but it seemed impossible to ignore that if the dragons had left us alone, I would've had a father. I couldn't believe I'd never taken an interest in him before. Jake's hand was tightly squeezing mine.

'I truly am sorry I had to tell you these things Selena' The wolf told me

Jake stepped in front of me suddenly 'How do you know these things? This is intimate knowledge that even Selena didn't know so how is you knew?'

The wolf lifted one lip to reveal sharp teeth but it wasn't a nasty gesture, it was like it was a lopsided grin.

'Selena's father is also my own'

XxXxX

_And that people is where I shall leave it. _

_Review and tell me what you think of this revelation that was so totally improvised and unplanned when I started this story._


	11. Chapter 10 Shai and Bryce

_Disclaimer- I don't own American Dragon...I wish I did. I own Selena and her family, Bryce and the Wolf who appeared in the last chapter. _

XxXxX

Jake flicked his head to Selena who's mouth was hanging open in shock. He watched as her knees began to tremble and he immediately put an arm under hers to support her weight.

'Let me down' She groaned, her eyes never leaving the wolf in front of her.

Jake lowered her to the floor and crouched next to her. She sat slumped, her eyes still on the wolf. Jake looked up at him, his eyes were hopeful and there didn't seem to be any dishonesty. Jake found he fully believed what he was saying.

There was moment of complete shocked silence before Selena managed to scrap together a sentence.

'You're my brother?' She asked

The wolf gave one nod of his head 'Half brother actually'

Jake watched as Selena processed this information. She folded a piece of hair behind her ear and frowned.

'How?' She asked

'I'm older than Emily. What I am is a Lycanthropic wolf. My mother was a complete wolf. Did you know that Lycanthropics and wolves could bear young together?'

Jake wrinkled his nose at this piece of information and Selena's frown deepened 'No, I didn't' she replied

'When a human is turned, their genetics are changed. If a male Lycanthropic on a full moon was to come across a she-wolf in heat they cannot resist the same as any normal dog. My parents were never a couple and our father only found out about me two years after my birth'

'You must be rarer than even my kind of hybrid' Selena said

'Yes. To my knowledge there are only two others like me. We can live among a wolf pack without humans or magical creatures noticing a difference'

'Do...do you have a name?' Selena asked 'I mean, if you really are my brother I need to be able to name you'

The wolf nodded 'My name is a wolf one so you will not understand it. You may call me by a shortened name which would be Shai'

'Shai' Selena repeated

Before Jake could really even think, she'd got to her feet and dropped to her knees again and wrapped her arms around Shai's neck the same way he'd seen her hug Snow. He lifted a paw and draped it over her back and he let out a contented sigh.

Jake stood up, feeling a bit like he was intruding on a moment that would've been best left between Selena and Shai. That was until Selena pulled herself away from Shai, got to her feet, ran at him and collided with him in a fierce embrace. Jake was, for a moment, surprised by the intensity of her action before he hugged her back.

'Thank you Jake' She whispered

'What? What do you mean?' Jake asked, pulling away from her

Her green eyes sparkled as she smiled at him 'I would never have got here and found Shai without you with me. I owe you so much'

Jake found himself unable to accept her gratitude 'I ruined your life Selena'

Her smile turned to a frown of disbelief 'Do you really think that? Jake, you saved me, not only that you've gotten me all the way here and united me with a family member. You haven't ruined my life, you've enriched it'

XxXxX

I watched as Jake processed what I was saying. He had been blaming himself the whole time. I had to admit I had blamed him at first too but my time with him had shown me there had been no intention to hurt me. I watched as his dark eyes changed from guilt to genuine happiness for me and I hugged him again.

XxXxX

We set up a camp, gathered some firewood and lit a small fire. I was sat between Jake and Shai, who was lent on me and laid comfortably.

'We still have to work out a way to get us all back to the coastline' Jake sighed

We'd decided that Shai should go with us into the werewolf camp. Then there wasn't only Bryce who could speak for me, Shai was well known among the Lycanthropics.

Shai had revealed my grandmother, my father's mother, had been a seer and this skill Shai had also inherited. That explained why he knew I would come to him. He seemed quiet though, I could tell something was weighing down onto him.

'What is it?' I asked

Shai sighed before looking up 'Jake, cannot come with us to the Lycanthropics'

'What!' Jake asked loudly

'What do you mean?' I asked

'It is difficult for me to say this because even though I have never met you American Dragon; I have seen into your heart, I saw the things you've done before you did them and I know the things you will do. But right now, the dragons are a hated enemy among the Lycanthropics. It doesn't matter who you are Dragon, if you were to enter their territory you would be killed on sight'

I gasped and grasped Jake's hand in response and looked up at him. His lips were pressed into a thin line and I squeezed his hand.

'If you were to die by a Lycanthropic's hand, tooth or claw it would just prove exactly what the Dragons say and it would harm everything your family is doing to set Selena free. It would spark a war the likes of which the magical world has never seen and it would not be contained within the magical world'

'You've seen it?' I asked

Shai nodded 'I have forseen three futures, and an all out war is a future I think should be avoided'

'What are the others?' Jake asked

Shai blinked 'One future is where Selena is tagged and the tag has magic imbued which suppresses her powers as long as the tag is within her body but she has freedom and the other is where Selena is granted full freedom and Hybrids like her are also granted full freedom'

I looked at Jake, there was no way we could guarantee the more favourable outcome which was full freedom. Jake looked unimpressed.

'I promised Lee I'd stand by her side and I'll stick to that promise' Jake said

I flicked my head to him 'No! Didn't you hear what he just said?'

'Letting you walk into what sounds like a hostile environment full of Lycanthropics who can't control themselves as you can doesn't sound like a safe place for you' Jake retorted

'Don't you see Jake? As horrible as it is to say it, Shai is right. You will be hated before they've even met you. I couldn't bare it if you were to die' I told him

Jake's eyes softened but he looked at Shai 'You aren't lying?'

'Why would I lie? I should also point out that Selena would die trying to protect you. She'd be seen as a Lycanthromorphic enemy if she was to try and protect a dragon' Shai told them both

Jake frowned 'Then I'll stay away to keep her alive'

Shai gave us a nod and got up.

'Where are you going?' I asked

'I'm hungry' He replied

We both nodded and he padded off into the trees but I got the impression he actually wanted to give Jake and I some time alone to talk about things which I was grateful for. I had to let him know somehow how much I cared about him.

'Will you go back to New York?' I asked him

'No, I'll stay in California until it's safe for you to come home too' Jake told me

'That may not be possible Jake. I really appreciate that you want to protect me but I want you to be safe too' I told him

'But I promised-'

'Forget that Jake, you've already done enough' I told him firmly

I got up to pace, Jake stood too but said nothing and stood and watched as I paced. I had loads of different thoughts whirling through my head. Should I just sneak off as he slept? Could I trust that he wouldn't follow me and get himself hurt or worse killed? I locked eyes with him and I walked straight up to him and put both my hands on his shoulders.

'You have to promise me that you won't follow me and you won't go looking for me' I urged

His dark eyes went fearful suddenly and he took a step back from me 'I don't want to lose you either'

'You won't Jake, but I won't go with your council without a fight. I need to go home so I can be there for my sister and my nephew. I can't do that if I'm sat in a cell waiting for them to decide if I'm dangerous or not' I told him

I realised while I'd been talking I'd closed the gap between us again but I was stood very close. Our chests were almost touching and even though I was looking up at him and him down at me, our noses were almost touching too. My stomach flipped slightly, I realised I must've gotten used to his scent but the close proximity gave it new strength and I went to put some space between us but Jake seemed to sense it and his arm reached out and he gripped my upper arm.

'Don't' He said softly

I felt light headed and I had no idea as to whether it was from his scent or our closeness. He let go of my hand and slid his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. My heart was pounding and my stomach was full of butterflies as he lowered his head towards me. He paused slightly, as if he was testing the waters. I kept still, the last kiss he'd given me flashed through my memory.

He closed the gap and pressed his lips to mine. It wasn't like the last one; he was far gentler with me. I pressed against him; my hands went to his chest. His chest was muscled and hard but incredibly warm; his body heat was actually heating me through our clothes. His arm tightened around my waist and his other hand tangled into my hair on the back of my head.

He was the first to pull away when things got a bit more heated and I reluctantly knew he was right to. He pressed his forehead against mine and blew a stream of warm breath onto my face.

'I promise I won't follow you or try to find you' He said reluctantly

I leaned back to thank him but he interrupted me before I got chance 'But, if I don't hear from you after three days, I will look for you'

I sighed 'Jake I-'

A rustle stopped me and Shai came back. He'd got a tint of pink on his fur and I knew he must've eaten already.

'We will have to leave tonight, the American Dragon cannot fly in daylight and by tomorrow we will have waited too long' Shai told us

Jake nodded. We quickly decided I would carry the bags on Jake's back and Jake would carry Shai in his arms. It was a long and slower flight, I watched feeling sick as the muscles in Jake's back connecting to his wings strained to carry the extra weight. When we eventually landed and he transformed back he looked shattered.

When we went back to the motel we'd booked the room in Shai told us he wanted to speak to me alone. Seeing as the motel didn't allow animals I realised I'd have to meet him outside the motel. At that point Jake had been too tired to argue.

To my embarrassment the room we'd booked only had a double bed. As he settled down to go to sleep, Jake gripped my hand. I watched as he fell into a deep sleep. I'd not seen him asleep yet, realising I'd usually fallen asleep first. His face was relaxed and if it was possible he looked a year or two younger that way. His black hair was tousled and I ran my fingers gently through it with affection.

Shai's consciousness moved into my mind _We will leave to go to the clan tonight. It is better this way, he will not be able to break his word and follow you. Leave a note for him. I apologise that it has to be this way but at least he will be safe_

I felt my eyes fill up at the thought of leaving Jake already. I closed them slowly and gathered myself before pulling myself together. My things were still packed so I didn't have to move about the room and make a stupid amount of noise. I wrote a note, telling him I was really sorry to have left in his sleep but it was better this way. I promised he would hear word within the three days and I put the note on the pillow beside him.

I dug in my bag and pulled the hair slide I normally pinned my hair up into. It was a simple design, four daisies in plain steel. I laid it down over the note and walked around to Jake's side of the bed. I leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He shifted in his sleep but didn't wake up. I slipped quietly from the room.

XxXxX

Shai revealed that the hideout of the Lycanthromorphic group was in a secret cave network in the cliffs of San Pedro Bay. We'd managed to make our way there fairly quickly and we were currently negotiating our way over the rocks. We'd found a hidden looking kind of clearway but there were still rocks to climb and Shai was permanently in his wolf form.

Apparently he didn't have a human form, just a badass half human half wolf form as his transformation. Like me, he could also control when he wanted to do this even though he'd never found any need to use it since his transformations during puberty.

'So, you got a pack?' I asked

'Yes, I live in a fairly small pack. My mother's pack allowed me to stay seeing as she is the alpha female with no alpha male, that is unheard of in wolf society' Shai replied

'Wow, so do you have a mate or wife or girlfriend or whatever wolves call it' I asked

'Yes I have a mate, she is a very beautiful she-wolf. Her name is Akeela' Shai told me

I was silent for awhile until a thought that had been bothering me resurfaced. I contemplated whether I wanted to ask, whether I was ready for the information or not. Deciding there was no time like the present, I gulped.

'Do you know where our father is?' I asked

'Yes I do' Shai replied

I resisted looking back at him 'Will I ever meet him?'

'Yes you will' Shai told me but his short answers made me realize he wasn't keen on revealing the information like anything to do with the future so far so I decided to shut up and not press him for answers.

Instead, I concentrated on scrambling my way over the rocks and tried not to think of Jake. I could see the Sun lightly on the horizon now and I knew that he'd be waking up soon. I hoped my actions hadn't ruined chances of love with him. I was coming to realize I cared very deeply for him, maybe it even ran as deep as love. Love was something I'd never experienced before so I was hoping it was love anyway.

Shai broke me from my thinking by letting out a loud growl, grabbing the back of my jumper in his teeth and yanking me back. I was about to tell him off when the distinct whistle of something flying through the air and then the smash of something hitting the ground just centimetres in front of me. A foul smell filled the air next and I looked down, seeing a smashed syringe with a needle on the end. The contents of the syringe had spilled onto the rocks and was causing the smell.

I wrinkled my nose but Shai was already pushing his way into my mind _Wolfsbane! Quickly, transform and run!_

I did as he said immediately and took off at a sprint, moving easier on my four legs. Shai quickly caught up to me and ran alongside me. I heard another whistle but this time a dull thump came next. Shai yelped and faltered before stumbling and rolling onto his side. The syringe was embedded in his shoulder.

I skidded to a stop and turned back to him, realising from his drooping eyelids he was falling to sleep _No! Shai get up now!_

_It's no use_ He told me lazily _You...must...run_

I watched helplessly as his eyes rolled into his head and closed. I nudged him with my nose but his head just moved limply. I heard footsteps coming closer and I turned sharply, shielding Shai with my own body. I growled harshly at the figures approaching. There was another whistle and I felt the syringe hit me right in the chest this time. I yelped, feeling the effects almost instantly. I blinked blearily; stumbling around stupidly until I felt the pain of another syringe hit my side. It was too much for me and I went down heavily, watching the shapes get closer as I blinked my heavy eyelids until they wouldn't rise again.

XxXxX

As soon as Jake woke up he could feel the effects of flying too much weight yesterday. He felt like his whole body was aching. He fidgeted and threw his arm out, sitting up in surprise when it landed on a hard but crinkly object. When he opened his eyes he saw his hand had landed on a note and on top of that was Selena's hair slide.

He pulled the note towards him but when he read the first line, he sat up bolt upright. Selena had left the note and she'd snuck off the Lycanthropic group while he'd slept. He thumped the mattress in anger at her underhand move but a brief memory came back to him. He'd been asleep but the sensation of someone pressing their lips to his forehead came back to him. He knew it had been Selena.

He groaned and shook his head in grief. What the hell was he going to do now? Stumbling out of bed he dug through his back and pulled out his phone.

'Fu? This just got real'

XxXxX

I groaned, I could feel my heart throbbing in my chest and every beat sent a wave of pain through my head. I felt clammy but cold and as I looked around I figured I was in some sort of cell with bars over the doors. My hearing seemed to have been deadened when I first woke up because I realised that Shai was wide awake and howling desperately, his nose jammed between the bars. Footsteps approached and the last person I expected to see was in the entrance. It was Bryce and he looked utterly shocked.

I hadn't seen him in so long and he looked like he had aged since I had last seen him. The man who had looked young for mid-thirties now looked like he was in his late thirties even though he was only thirty six. His hair had grown to his shoulders and his piercing blue eyes had developed crows feet in the corners.

Shai's growling brought me back to the present _What have you done to her!_

Bryce pulled a face of regret and pain 'She seemed to have some sort of immunity to the Wolfsbane but the potion also seemed to trigger some sort of delayed reaction so even though she's got some immunity to its effects, she's allergic to an ingredient within it'

Shai snapped his jaws _Come in here and treat her then, I see you have something with you!_

Bryce came into the cell but not before shutting and locking the door behind him. Shai allowed him to come past but not before he snapped at his ankles threateningly. Bryce ignored him and knelt down to me.

'What...have...you...done?' I asked, struggling to speak.

'Just shush, you've had a huge dose that could possibly kill any other Lycanthropic as small as you. You need to keep strength' Bryce told me

I could hardly react, I had no strength to 'How...long...have I...been...out?' I asked

'This is the second day, you've spent most of today coming around a bit. When they first brought you in I thought they had killed you but your heart was beating faintly. I spent the first day keeping you alive' Bryce told me

I panicked, Jake had given me until a third morning before he came looking for me. Shai had warned me that if Jake came anywhere near here before some sort of peace was made he'd be killed. I tried to sit up but Bryce pushed me back. I realised he'd been prepping my arm for some sort of injection.

'Hold still!' He ordered

'You...don't...understand!'I rasped

'Let me Selena, you are not strong enough' Shai cut in

He proceeded to explain everything that had happened to me, meeting Jake, having to go on the run, finding him and then him offering to accompany me up to now. He then explained the prophecy he told me and who and what Jake was. Bryce's lips pressed into a thin line and I could see he was struggling to control anger. I wondered what was making him angry until he turned on me.

'I told you dragons were no good!' Bryce expoloded

I was taken aback, knowing I was too weak to argue back Shai gave a loud bark and moved lightning fast so he was stood over me, his lips lifted into a growl showing a row of long white and sharp looking teeth. It didn't seem to faze Bryce much though but Shai didn't back off, if anything his threat intensified.

_If you know what is good for you, you will back off and leave Selena alone!_ Shai rumbled

Bryce simply looked at him 'She's been travelling with a dragon and you are defending her, how can I trust either of you?'

_You will listen to reason and the prophecy _Shai countered

He allowed his words to sink in. I knew Bryce would listen to him being someone who was fairly level-headed and open minded. His face was betraying his thoughts.

'What must I do?' Bryce asked

'You must go to Jake and let him know Selena is at least alive' Shai said

'How will he believe me?' Bryce asked

I raised my hand. The simple gold band with a small green gem matching my eyes sat on the second to last finger of my right hand. I never took it off, along with the thin gold chain around my neck baring a simple gold cross. I wasn't Christian but my Mum had been and it had been hers. Jake had seen my jewellery enough times and I'd explained their significance.

'Take...my...jewellery...He's...seen...it before...and...he'll...believe..you' I told Bryce

Bryce nodded and carefully handled my necklace and ring, tucking them into a pouch. He then took a small dagger out and knelt by my head. He held up a lock of hair and held the dagger to it. I guessed that he was going to cut it off, further proof.

'May I?' Bryce asked

I nodded and with one quick swipe, Bryce took at least an inch of hair off the lock he picked up. He tucked it into a separate pouch. Seeing as Shai had seen the motel and knew the room number he told Bryce for me as Bryce injected whatever he'd got into my arm.

'I won't be gone long' Bryce said, once he'd finished.

'I must warn you' Shai spoke up, he took a quick glance at me before looking back up at Bryce 'Jake is on the brink of becoming Selena's Rakasta, I urge you to get to him quickly, for her sake'

I frowned at the unfamiliar word but I didn't have the energy to ask Shai what it meant. It seemed to sink in with Bryce though, he nodded and left quickly. Shai curled up next to me as close as he could, resting his head on my belly. I raised my hand and rested it on his head. He stayed close to try and keep me warm. I drifted off into sleep again, loosing energy from the pain I was feeling.

XxXxX

Shai sighed with relief at the medicine working on Selena. It had a sedative mixed in so she would go to sleep and not feel anymore pain until the medicine countered the allergic reaction and finally purged the last of the Wolfsbane from her system.

He'd not forseen these events and it was worrying. He'd never been taken by surprise like this. Selena shifted in her sleep and Shai felt a pang of pity for her. Even though she was his sister and they'd both protected one another he knew it was simply loyalty to family and not because they were strongly bonded. He still felt sad she'd been allowed to grow up without him, he knew now was the time to make amends and work hard to get hybrid Lycanthromorphics the freedom they deserved.

Selena deserved some happiness and he was going to make sure that she got it.

XxXxX

_So, what do you think? It took me ages with this because I wanted to get it right but I'm sure you'll all tell me if something doesn't quite work! Review please and let me know. _


	12. Chapter 11 The Leader of the Pack

Bryce approached the Motel hesitantly. He'd never met a dragon before and he had no idea what to expect. He raised his hand and knocked on the Motel room door. Almost immediately it burst open and a tall, well built scruffy haired Asian teenager stood in the doorway. His expression of hope dropped to one of despair briefly before he fixed an indifferent look on his face.

'Who are you?' He asked

'Jake Long?' Bryce asked

'Yeah?' Jake replied, his voice suspicious

'My name is Bryce, have you heard of me?' He asked

Jake's eyes widened 'Yes I have! Is Selena with you? Did she found the Werewolves? What's happened to her?' He asked frantically

Bryce found that he thought his worry for Selena was touching. It immediately took away his reservations.

'She found us and she was shot with two vials of Wolfsbane' Bryce said

'What? Is she alright?' Jake asked

'Two doses is risky enough but she showed a strong immunity to it. I wasn't present when this happened, I would've stopped it if I had been. But It seems that while she has an immunity to the effects, she has an allergy to one of the ingrediants' Bryce hesitated 'She's been very ill'

Jake frowned 'Why was she shot in the first place?'

'It is a new policy our pack leader has put into place. It's simply so no one knows exactly where we hide and only Werewolves can find it anyway. Shai was also dosed but he recovered quickly' Bryce explained

Jake walked back into the room and sat heavily on a bed. Bryce wasn't really sure what to do so he came inside and shut the door. He went into his pocket and pulled out the necklace.

'Selena, told me to give you this' He said

Jake held his hand out and Bryce lowered it into his palm. He looked at it sadly.

'They won't let her go, will they?' Jake asked

'We know her situation and they'll protect her' Bryce answered cryptically 'Shai says you should return to New York. When they question you, they'll likely want to view your memories. That could hold the key to getting Selena's freedom'

Jake frowned, he felt sick at the thought of leaving Selena in a vulnerable state. He looked at Bryce who looked at him sympathetically.

'What does Selena mean to you, Dragon?' Bryce asked

Jake rolled his eyes 'My name Is Jake Long, use it please'

Bryce raised one eyebrow 'Okay, Jake. What does Selena mean to you?'

Jake frowned deeper. What did Selena mean to him? She was a very good friend, she was honest too and he appreciated that. She comforted him by just being nearby. Her smile brightened his own spirits and her laugh was almost infectious to him. He felt gutted all the times he'd seen her holding tears in or trying to hide tears from him. Selena was a very special person to him.

'She's like no one I've ever met. There was one girl, a couple of years ago who I thought was it for me, and I did love her but Selena...hits me deeper. I can't describe it, all I know is that she's right. I can't possibly explain how horrible it feels that our races are so conflicted, I don't care what she is. Heck, I love what she is-'

'Love?' Bryce asked

Jake hardly hesitated 'Yeah, love. I love her and I'll do anything for her, anything she'd ask for, I'd do my best to give it to her. I know she wouldn't ask for anything though, I'd have to guess' Jake said with a small smile

Bryce looked at him carefully, letting his words sink in. He sighed and approached Jake and put his hand on the teen's shoulder. Jake looked up at him.

'I'll do everything I can to make sure Selena is comfortable until you can be together again' Bryce said

Jake nodded and looked down at the ground and tried to hand the necklace back but Bryce was dipping into his pocket again. He pulled out the ring Jake had seen Selena wear and hardly ever take off. He dropped it into Jake's palm. Jake studied the jewellery sadly before sighing and trying to hand it back.

'Keep the necklace. I'm sure Selena would want you to have something with you of hers to comfort you with' Bryce said, only taking the ring back.

Jake nodded and got up, picking the hair slide Selena had left behind. He gave it to Bryce who looked at it curiously.

'Tell her you found me and I got the message. Tell her to look after herself and be careful. Tell her I'll miss her but that we will most definitely meet each other again. Sooner rather than later' Jake said solemnly

Bryce nodded and turned to leave, just before he shut the door behind himself he looked back at Jake.

'She spent the first day like she was in a coma but the second day she came in and out of consciousness. I don't think she remembers anything but I was there. She called out for you plenty of times and said that she loved you'

Jake's face crumpled as Bryce shut the door and left.

XxXxX

I had been awake for awhile now, simply laid and staring at the ceiling of the cell. I could still feel the effects of the Wolfsbane though, I had tried to stand up earlier but had found that I'd felt very unsteady on my legs and my vision was slightly blurred. Turns out that we might recover from injuries fast but recovering from other things seemed to be slow. Shai was also still feeling the effects of the drug too but he hardly complained. He was worried about me I suppose.

I'd been laying daydreaming when the clang of the cell door opening caught both of our attentions and Bryce came in. I stood up unsteadily and Shai also got up, standing close beside me. Another man followed him in and I blinked. He was tall, had a thin figure, dark blonde hair and green eyes. It was like seeing double. I walked to him and studied him.

'Who are you?' I asked

He was looking at me, with pride and adoration 'My name is Wheylyn. I knew your mother'

I couldn't speak; it was slowly sinking in who this man was. There was no denying it.

'Are you my father?' I asked

He smiled widely, it looked like he couldn't possibly smile any wider and he nodded. I wasn't sure what to do. Shai nudged me with his nose and Wheylyn pulled me into a tight embrace. I wasn't sure what to do but the way he was holding onto me made me feel sort of complete. It was an embrace only a father could give and I hugged back, feeling my body swell up with so many different emotions I couldn't possibly describe it.

Wheylyn leaned back, keeping one hand on my shoulder and brushing a lock of hair from my face affectionately and tucking it behind my ear.

'You look like your mother' He said

I shook my head 'No, I look like you'

He smiled proudly and hugged me again but I pulled away to look at Shai. His wolf face looked happy, his mouth open in a sort of grin.

'You knew he was here?' I asked

'Of course I did' Shai replied

'And you didn't tell me?'

Shai looked at me coyly 'I couldn't ruin the surprise. Besides, I wanted to see your instant reaction. If you'd known he was coming here you might've muddled it through your head and not greeted him properly'

'Do not question the ways of your brother, he is a conundrum' Wheylyn smiled

We were taken out of the cell and I was given a bath and a change of clothes. They were a little different than I was expecting, the brown dull leather skinny trousers, and white shirt were not quite what I was expecting. I was given my bag back and I combed my hair before pinning it back into my regular ponytail. I was led out by a chatty and friendly woman who I learned was called Elenor. She had long dark curly hair and pointed features like a pixie.

She took me to what looked like a dining room. Three places had been set up and I noticed right next to the table two bowls. Wheylyn and Bryce were already there and Shai was sat in front of the bowl on the floor. The smell of food suddenly hit me. It was only then I realised I'd gone nearly three days without eating.

'We have things we must talk about but I understand you must be starving. You've been through quite an ordeal these past few days' Wheylyn said, indicating to the seat next to him.

I sat down and food was served up. Some cooked chicken on the bone, salads and fruit were brought out. Water was poured into a cup and I began to feel slightly uncomfortable at being served like this. Was my father of some importance.

'You look confused Selena' Bryce commented

'Well yes. I'm not ungrateful but why were we served like this?' I asked

Wheylyn leaned forwards 'Lycanthromorphics have a hierarchy when we live in groups like this, a certain social structure. As wolves were pack animals and werewolves are derived from that certain pack instincts come out when we are thrown together in large numbers'

'Since your father set this sanctuary up he's what you might call, the head honcho. The leader if you will'

My mouth dropped open and Wheylyn looked slightly embarrassed. Shai looked up at me.

'Not what you expected?'

'Don't take this wrong but no!' I replied

Bryce roared with laughter suddenly and I couldn't help but grin along with him. I tucked into the food, keeping mindful of my manners; I didn't want to just dig in like an animal. We talked and caught up with everything. Bryce had found himself a mate as he called her and that it was the woman who'd led me here; Elenor. My father explained that after my mother had left England he'd followed a few years later and managed to built a friendship with a warlock who was the one who helped him set up the sanctuary.

'We are becoming pressed for space now though. Every full moon, more come to us, seeking help. It's becoming clear that we're going to need to set up another place for shelter' Wheylyn explained

'Will the warlock not help you?' I asked

'Bayard? Sadly not, not long after I'd got things running properly he turned on me and tried to take control. I had no choice but to banish him but he promised revenge on me. He is the same warlock who has put a bounty out on you' Wheylyn revealed

'How does he know about me?' I asked

'I'm not sure exactly. He must have wanted to capture you to try and lure me out' Wheylyn told me

'So he wasn't actually interested in me?' I asked 'Well that's a relief'

'It is now that you are in safe hands' Wheylyn smiled

'But what about Emily? Will he go after her?' I asked, concerned

'He may do out of desperation. I will send two untagged members to keep an eye-'

'That won't be neccessary' I cut him off

Wheylyn blinked in surprise 'Why not?'

I looked at Bryce who leaned forwards in his seat 'I have told your father about the American Dragon. How he protected you and brought you here'

'I cannot say I approve of your bond with him but I am grateful' Wheylyn said

I frowned 'There is nothing wrong with Jake. Whatever the Council have done wrong to our kind Jake has proved to me that he doesn't share the same beliefs'

'That may be so Selena, but he may have no choice but to obey orders he's given. The Dragon Council have the power to remove dragons of their powers. They could strip Jake of his simply for defying them in your favour' Wheylyn said

I felt a tremor of fear 'What did Jake say to you? Did you find him?'

Bryce leaned further across the table and held one of my hands 'I found him, I told him of the situation, not about your father though. I gave him your necklace and he returned this'

Bryce pulled out my hairslide and handed it to me. I turned it in my hand before looking back up at him.

'He told me to tell you to look after yourself, to be careful and that he'll miss you but he promised that you will meet again. He's heading back to New York' Bryce told me

'But the council will intercept him and question him! What if they strip his powers? I couldn't bare it if-'

'Jake made his choice' Wheylyn said, cutting across me

'Jake protected me with his life!' I snarled in reply 'I owe him big time'

Bryce and Wheylyn looked at me carefully as thoughts ran through my head.

'I must hand myself over and-'

'And do what?' Shai suddenly cut in

I looked at him in shock but he carried on.

'They won't grant you freedom yet and it won't help Jake. They could still punish him for his actions and then do whatever they like with you! Then you'll both suffer' Shai said carefully

I felt like I was hyperventilating and Shai reared up and put on of his paws over mine.

'You are no good to him if you are captured. We have to hope they will listen to his Grandfather. He is a well respected dragon, with his own feats and achievements behind him' Shai said

Bryce nodded 'He is well known to us, he has in the past protected Lycanthropics and allowed them to go free. He is a honourable man. Maybe the only reason he saw fit to report you was because you were so close to Jake'

'He did it to protect him. I understand he meant to real harm to me' I replied

'It was a rash move and unlike him but I think you might be right' Wheylyn replied

'Jake, Lao Shi and the rest of their family will do what it takes to get me home. I know they will' I said with conviction 'At the moment I'm more concerned for Emily's safety, she has a young son'

'Emily has a child?' Wheylyn asked

'Yes' I replied 'Nicholas, he's two years old'

'I knew Emily as a small child. She was such a lovely young girl' Wheylyn replied with affection

I cocked my head 'How did you meet her?'

'I'm surprised you don't remember. I came to visit often when you were both little but your mother and I told Emily I was a family friend and she was too young to see a connection between us. Things only ended between your mother and I when our relationship was discovered and she fled to keep you safe' Wheylyn told me sadly

It struck me then that maybe he didn't know that my mother was dead. It was feasible because he hadn't known about Emily having Nicky. I wondered how I should tell him, he clearly still cared very deeply for her.

'Are you alright Selena?' Bryce asked

'No, Bryce could you maybe give me a moment alone with my father?' I asked shakily

Bryce gave me a confused look but he got up and left. Shai looked at me sadly, maybe having realised or even already knew what I had to do.

'Is something wrong?' Wheylyn asked

'Yes! I'm so upset that I have to tell you this but-' I broke off, trying to steady my voice 'My mother died two years ago'

Wheylyn's face went white and had a blank expression for a moment before he looked devastated.

'How?' He asked

'She developed a brain tumor. It progressed quickly, within six months after diagnosis she was gone' I explained, my eyes were wet but I refused to cry.

It looked like Wheylyn needed the support more than I did at this moment. He sat breathing heavily, looking down at his lap for a bit before I got up and stood next to him, my hand on his shoulder.

'I'm sorry I had to tell you' I said softly

'No I'm sorry, I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you' Wheylyn said

I didn't reply and he looked up at me 'Was she in pain?'

I shook my head 'No, she went into a coma in the last week. She knew nothing'

'At least there's that' Wheylyn replied

XxXxX

Jake Long was headed into Riverside Airport to get a plane home. There was no point in hiding now so as long as he got home quickly to join in the appeal with his Grandpa and Fu Dog he didn't mind.

He had just enough money to get a plane ticket to New Jersey's Newark airport. He'd called his Grandpa and put him up to speed and arranged for Lao Shi to pick him up. He'd bought the ticket and was sat in the lounge waiting.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as a large man dressed all in black sat down next to him. Jake shifted uncomfortably but didn't say anything. The man leaned closer and Jake looked up at him, opening his mouth to tell him to back off but he cut him off.

'Not so fast American Dragon' His voice was low and husky

Jake's eyes went wide 'Who the hell are you?'

'Do not react to what I'm about to tell you. I'm an associate of the bounty hunter assigned to catch Selena Tyler. But I've heard of your appeal to get her freedom and that clearly won't happen if she's granted amnesty and then captured' The man said

Jake was literally forcing himself to keep calm and not freak out in the middle of the airport.

'I want to help you' The man said

'And why would you want to go behind the bounty hunter's back?' Jake asked angrily

'Because I'm sympathetic to her plight. He's chosen to pounce at a vulnerable time for her. I've always been Lycanthropic sympathetic and for once I want to do the right thing'

Jake looked at him, he seemed honest enough 'Alright, what do you want me to do?'

'Come with me, I can give you pictures, names and locations on getting them both caught' The man replied

Jake looked up at the clock, he still had half an hour to his flight and he hadn't passed through security yet.

'Alright, lead the way' He said

The man nodded and got up, Jake picked up his bag and followed him. He led him out of the airport, the guy got into a van and Jake walked around to the passenger side. He got in and shut the door behind him.

'Right, so you can give me names and-wha?'

He looked around to see a large gun barrel pointing right in his face. He flinched when he heard it go off but then realised what had happened. A Sphynx-hair net had burst out of the end and completely covered him.

Already, he could feel it's power draining him of his own. He groaned tiredly before the man gathered it in a bunch and pushed him into the back of the van.

'The names, Rorick Fey. I'm the bounty hunter assigned to catch Selena Tyler. Seeing as you've cut off me using her sister or nephew to bait her out, I'm using you'

He turned back to facing forwards and started the van up. Jake looked up tiredly, helpless to do anything.

'Make yourself comfortable dragon, we've got a slight journey ahead of us'

XxXxX

_Ooo a twist you say? I hope it was, that's what I was going for anyway. Please review, I know it's cheeky to ask seeing as it's been so long since I updated but yeah, please do! _


	13. Chapter 12 Keep Safe

_Disclaimer- I do not own American Dragon or any of it's characters. I own Selena and her family _

XxXxX

It had been almost two weeks since I had last heard from anyone outside of the Lycanthropic group. My phone had remained silent and I was starting to get concerned over the fact that I'd not heard from either Emily or Jake.

In the meantime I'd settled into the Lycanthropic group well. With Wheylyn being my father I'd been accepted easily. I was currently more concerned over the fact that it was running rapidly up to the full moon and there were going to be two hundred plus wild werewolves.

Wheylyn and Bryce assured me that if I stayed in my Lycanthropic form I wouldn't be bothered and newer more wilder Lycanthropics were usually locked into their chambers to prevent in-fighting.

I sat in my own room, currently fiercly missing my family and Jake. Shai was laid beside me on my bed, his head laid across my stomach. He and I had become very close and despite the fact that he never could take human form, he was very much my brother. He could sense I was pining but there wasn't much he could do to help, just keep me company. He raised his head and looked at me with his warm golden eyes.

_I'm very sure that they will contact you soon_

'But how soon is soon?' I asked

_I am uncertain but I do not believe that your sister or Jake wouldn't leave you in the dark_ Shai replied

I nodded but I just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

XxXxX

Emily paced in the Long family's front living room. Jonathan and Susan sat pale faced and silent on their couch, holding one another's hands tightly. The front door clicked and everyone faced the door. Hayley and Sun walked in, both with disappointed looks on their faces.

'Anything?' Susan asked frantically

Hayley just looked at the ground, trying to disguise tears. Sun put her hand on her student's shoulder supportively before looking up.

'Nothing I'm afraid' She told them

Susan nodded but her face crumpled, Jonathan put his arms around her and Hayley moved swiftly to her parents and they all hugged. Hayely's shoulders shook but Susan's cries were slightly louder but still quietly controlled.

Lao Shi and Fu dog had travelled to California to search. As far as they all knew Jake had been in the airport and had gotten on the plane. He'd just never shown up at the other end.

Emily hugged herself, she was worried for Jake but she was concerned about Selena too. Lao Shi had said for the time being that no one was to tell her Jake was missing.

'She will come out of hiding and everything we're doing to gain her freedom will have been wasted. The case is to come before the council after the next full moon. It is imperative that she stay where she is until then' Lao Shi had said

Emily was now thinking maybe Selena could give information. Maybe she knew what had happened and no one had said anything. She could somehow tell that everyone else's thoughts were turning that way too. She decided now might be the time to speak up.

'I really think we should speak to Selena' She said quietly

Sun furrowed her eyebrows 'There is no need, the council is aware of the situation, they have every dragon on duty on the alert for Jake'

'Then why is it that no one anywhere has seen or heard from him?' Susan asked, her voice croaked and her face tear streaked

'Mrs Long-'

'This is my son! I can't just sit here any longer and do nothing!' She said loudly

Jonathan's attempts to calm his wife were wasted. Susan bolted from the room and went upstairs. Jonathan's tired and stressed face looked up the stairs after her.

'I just want my brother back' Hayley said quietly

'We all want Jake found Hayely, it's the biggest priority' Sun told her

'Selena's case won't come up to the council while Jake is missing. All efforts are on the search which I don't disagree with but no one has spoken to her. She may have heard from Jake and no one knows' Emily said

The door opened again and this time Trixie and Spud entered the house. Both of the teenagers looked tired and stressed. They had both been filled in pretty much once it had become apparent that Jake hadn't come home. They knew about Selena and the situation she was currently in.

'We've searched everywhere we knew he hung out a billion times' Spud told them

Emily shook her head 'We need to speak to Selena'

'It won't do any good' Sun argued

The phone rang and everyone was silenced, Susan came out of the bedroom and everyone listened as Jonathan answered. The conversation didn't give much away and he hung up the phone with an even more stressed and despairing expression.

'It was Lao' He said

'Have they found him?' Susan asked

'No. They went to the airport and questioned the staff. Jake never got on the plane' he said

'What? Why?' Hayley asked

'Several staff saw him having a conversation with a tall man and he left the airport with him. Apparently CCTV footage confirms it' Jonathan said

The silence in the room felt heavy, Emily shook her head and made a noise of exasperation but Jonathan looked up at her.

'Lao said that it's been left long enough to speak to Selena. He wants you to arrange for her to meet him somewhere. She may take someone with her and whoever she likes' Jonathan said

Emily nodded and pulled out her phone. How was she going to tell Selena that Jake was missing?

XxXxX

I was still laid on my bed but this time Shai had gone to fetch Bryce and Wheylyn. I could hear them talking quietly outside my door.

'She's just pining away' Shai was muttering

'There isn't much that we can do' Bryce replied

'But she's hardly eating or sleeping. She's just going to make herself ill. Have you seen how much weight she's lost?' Shai asked

'I have, but it's not like we can force feed her. We just have to remember that she'll feel better soon and she'll be fine. We just have to be patient' Wheylyn said firmly

I rolled my eyes and got up while they all continued muttering amongst themselves. I threw my door open, they all jumped back quickly. I'd caught them by surprise but I scowled deeply.

'I can hear you, you know' I hissed

'Selena I-' Wheylyn started

But he was silenced by the sudden loud ring if my phone. I spun around and bolted for it. I looked at the caller I.D and was relieved to see Emily's number come up.

'Emily? Em! You've no idea how relieved I am to hear from you!' I said happily

'_Listen Selena, I'm calling because something really serious has happened_' She said

I stopped, feeling like my stomach had just dropped to the floor 'What? What's happened?'

Wheylyn, Bryce and Shai all came into my room, watching with concerned expressions.

'_As Bryce told you, Jake was supposed to be heading back to New York. But he never got on the plane_' Emily said

My mouth dropped open 'Where is he now?'

'_We don't know. He's been missing_'

I immediately felt rage build 'This was nearly two weeks ago Emily! Why did no one say-why...I-' and then I burst into tears.

Bryce strode forwards and took the phone from me while Wheylyn attempted to comfort me. Shai sat at my feet and I sat on the floor, he draped his head over my shoulder and I buried my face into his fur. I head Bryce say good bye to Emily and he put the phone back on my bed.

'You know Jake's Grandfather, Lao Shi?' Bryce asked

'Yes'

'He's been in California for a week, looking for any sign' Bryce said 'He wants to meet with you'

'How?' I asked

'He can't come here!' Wheylyn said

I sighed exasperatedly and Wheylyn held up his hands.

'It's not because of things between our species. It's everyone else. We have over two hundred Lycanthropics here who don't take as kindly to me with dragons' Wheylyn said

I nodded 'Then I will have to leave'

'You can't! What if they catch you?' Bryce asked

'I don't care! I just want Jake to be safe!' I said loudly

'Calm down Selena' Wheylyn tried

'I will not calm down!' I practically screeched

It effectively silenced Bryce and Wheylyn. I took a few deep breaths to steady myself before looking up at Wheylyn.

'Dad' I said hesitantly

Wheylyn looked up at me properly. I'd not used that word in reference to him yet and it caught his attention. I set myself ready for what I was about to say.

'I have never, ever met anyone like him. He's risked so much to get me here, to get me to you' I walked to Wheylyn and held his hands, looking up at him 'I love him Dad'

Wheylyn's eyes softened and he held my hands 'We'll find out what's happened Selena, I'll do everything I can'

We sprang into action immediately. Wheylyn and Bryce called a council meeting and only the most senior of the members too. That made only two other men and one woman, Elenor, the very same woman Bryce was with. I knew that this was how they'd likely met.

The two men, I knew one was alright. He was called Charles, he was tall, about the same age as Bryce with deathly pale skin, dark brown almost black hair and dark blue eyes. He had welcomed me fairly well and had made a few small talk conversations with me.

The other man, was his brother, they were nearly identical but for the fact that this man had pale hair to match his skin and his eyes were a sharper, icy blue. His name was William. I didn't trust him and he'd made it clear he didn't trust me.

For the first few days I'd apparently smelt of dragons and it had taken ages for the smell to fade. Everyone who had come into contact with me had smelt it and known and luckily only a few people had.

'It seems the bounty hunter has found a way to get to us in a way that we didn't predict' Wheylyn told them

'What do you mean?' Elenor asked

'He's captured the American Dragon, the very dragon who brought Selena safely to us' Wheylyn said

'Wasn't it the dragon's grandfather who informed the council of Selena's whereabouts?' Charles asked

'The Dragons made up for their mistakes. They've been appealing Selena's case and I think they would've succeeded if this Jake Long had made it back to New York. The bounty hunter has effectively delayed the trial by taking not only their most valuable member but also the best witness for Selena' Bryce barked sharply

'They would've also known the personal connections between him and my daughter would draw her out' Wheylyn replied

'What do you suggest we do?' Elenor asked

'The boy's grandfather has requested that he meet with Selena on neutral ground, to discuss their options' Wheylyn replied

William, had remained silent until now 'And how do we know this isn't a trap to draw your daughter out?'

He made a good point, but I trusted that Jake wouldn't allow something like this to happen to me. An opinion Bryce voiced for me.

'I want someone I trust to accompany her' Wheylyn said

William looked around himself, almost mockingly 'I believe that everyone here is tagged, besides Selena'

'I left the sanctuary, they didn't catch me' Bryce replied 'But I fear doing it again will bring me unwanted attention'

Elenor looked at me apologetically 'I cannot do it for personal reasons'

I looked at the way she and Bryce were holding hands and the way her other hand was laid protectively over her stomach. She was expecting! I wondered what that meant for the baby regarding it's genetics but now wasn't the time.

'Shai isn't tagged' I piped up

Everyone looked at me blankly and I put one of my hands on Shai's head.

'I'll Take Shai with me. He's more inconspicuous than a tagged Lycanthropic' I said firmly

'Great, so are you going to walk him on a lead?' William asked mockingly

I glared at him and didn't even answer. Shai nudged my hand with his nose.

'_Ignore him. He's like it with everyone_' Shai told me

I gave a curt nod to him before raising my head back up 'Shai agrees with me. I won't accept anyone else's help'

Wheylyn nodded 'Very well. You should phone your sister back so it can be arranged'

I nodded, got up and left. I made the phone call to Emily and we arranged for me to meet Lao Shi on a Los Angeles dog park which was local. That way both Shai and Fu Dog could be with us and talk discreetly. We'd meet at night and in two night's time. I was concerned as to how close the full moon was getting and I wanted Jake found before then.

I prepared to leave the sanctuary. Wheylyn had said that seeing as no tagged Lycanthropic was accompanying me we didn't run the risk of setting a tag off but he armed me with a small tranquilizer gun and a dart cartridge. He took me on a shooting range which was a large cave and also he and Bryce set about teaching me some basic self-defence.

Two days passed quickly and Shai and I set off. Elenor, Bryce, Charles and of course Wheylyn waved us off, William was nowhere in sight but I didn't really miss him. I was wearing the clothes I'd come here in but they'd been washed and repaired so I looked completely normal. Elenor had joked that although the dark leather trousers had looked good on me it wouldn't help me blend in.

'Take care of yourselves and come back safely. We haven't spent nearly long enough together' Wheylyn said, hesitantly hugging me.

I nodded 'There is still a lot we need to learn about one another'

I moved onto Bryce as Wheylyn said goodbye to Shai. Bryce was less hesitant about his hug, squeezing me like an uncle would his niece.

'Keep an eye out for danger. That warlock does after all, know this location. He could have someone set up watching to trap you' Bryce told me

'Don't worry Bryce, I'm sure we'll be fine' I replied as he released me.

Elenor and I had a quick hug and then Shai and I left. The sanctuary had kind of a massive carved doorway but with no door, just a glowing purple coloured sheet which you could see through. I watched Shai walk straight through it confidently and then I walked right up to it and put my arm through it carefully. When nothing particularly bad happened I stepped all the way through.

It felt like stepping through an icy cold shower and I shivered at the lingering chill as I left the shield. I looked back and I could see Wheylyn stood right on the other side, watching. I waved at him before turning and walking about five steps and then turning a corner in the rocky path. Shai had his nose to the air, sniffing deeply. I inhaled through my nose, smelling nothing but sea-air.


	14. Chapter 13 Captured

_I don't own American Dragon, just the characters you don't recognise from tv. _

XxXxX

It didn't take us long to walk down off the cliffs and then up out of the bay. The local park wasn't far and it didn't take us long but Lao Shi was already waiting. I walked over, nervously. Lao Shi looked up at me and I realised I felt far differently about this old man than when I'd first met him. I knew I should respect him but I also felt slight resentment towards him. If he'd waited to speak to me personally, none of this needed to happen.

'Lao Shi' I said lowly

He looked up at me and his eyes wiped any negative feelings away. He was clearly tired and under a great amount of stress. I sat next to him and put my hand on his arm.

'I will do everything I can to help you find him' I said softly

Lao Shi nodded 'I know it is a great risk for you to be out of the Werewolves protection but I needed every detail I could get from you'

I nodded and he looked down at Fu Dog 'Great to see you doll face, but I must say, you look a bit thin'

'I spent two weeks worrying about everyone with no word' I replied simply

'For that I apologise, I asked them not to reveal anything because you would come out of hiding but now it is necessary' Lao Shi told me 'What do you know about this bounty hunter yourself'

'Only what Jake told me and he told me the bounty hunter was notorious for getting his catch and that he appeared to be working for a Warlock' I replied

'Is that all' Fu Dog asked

'That and my father, Wheylyn, said that he knew the Warlock, said his name was Bayard. He also said that he likely wasn't after me, that he was after Wheylyn. He also sent two untagged Lycanthropics to keep an eye out for Emily and Nicky but seeing as the full moon is drawing near he'll likely be calling them back' I told them

'Why is he after your father?' Lao Shi asked

I didn't want to be revealing information to a member of the dragon council about the sanctuary but I realised at this point I had no choice.

'I don't impart this lightly so please keep this between us' I told him 'Wheylyn set up the first Lycanthropic sanctuary. It is a vast cave system and it is force field protected, it seems to stop your tags finding the Lycanthropics they are attached to'

'We were aware of some black hole in this area that seemed to swallow up Lycanthropics, we never thought of magic enchantments' Lao Shi said

'I'm not exactly sure what happened but once it was established and Lycanthropics began to turn up Bayard turned on Wheylyn and he kicked him out. Bayard knows of the area but I think even he cannot find the sanctuary' I said, thoughtfully.

'So you think Bayard is after revenge on Wheylyn?' Lao Shi asked

'Even Wheylyn isn't sure but that's what we suspect. They targeted me but they were after my father. We're also not sure how Bayard knew about me, the sanctuary was set up before I was even around' I replied

'So the hunter has targeted Jake to get to you to get to your father?' Fu Dog asked 'Isn't that a bit extreme?'

'If the Warlock and the hunter are desperate enough they will use any means necessary' Lao Shi replied

I was busy now trying to formulate a plan 'Does the hunter know I've managed to get to the sanctuary?'

'We're not sure but we can assume yes because he went for Jake and Jake obviously wasn't with you' Fu Dog replied

Shai nudged me and I looked at him.

'_What if we let him capture you?_'

I stared at him, it appeared he'd also conveyed the message to Lao Shi and Fu Dog.

'Are you mental?' I asked loudly

'_No, we need a collaboration between the Dragons and the Lycanthropics and we need to pull it off before the full moon_' Shai told us

'What are you thinking?' I asked

'_We get the dragons to tag you and then wherever the bounty hunter takes you we can follow you. You also might be able to learn why things went so wrong with Wheylyn and Bayard_' Shai suggested

'It's a good plan but what if he sets up magic wards and we can't follow the tag' Fu Dog asked

'Is there some kind of enchantment you can put on me or the tag to get rid of a shield?' I asked

'There may be something' Lao Shi answered

'You do realise kid that if they decide to leave that in you, you won't be able to go back to your father' Fu Dog pointed out

I looked at Shai and he looked at me sadly 'It's a risk I'm willing to take for Jake. Set up a meeting with your council members and I will set up one with my father. But I will only bring him on the condition that he is allowed to walk away and go back to the sanctuary unchallenged and unfollowed. The same goes for anyone he would bring with him' I said sternly

Lao Shi nodded 'I will do my best. I will be in touch within the next few days'

'Remember, it's the full moon next week. We need this done before then' I reminded him.

'Yes' Lao Shi said 'I wish to apologise for the way things have gone'

I looked at him carefully before answering 'I get it, you were only doing what was best for you and Jake'

Lao Shi nodded

XxXxX

'This is preposterous!' William shouted, smacking his hand on the table in front of him.

I twitched but didn't say anything. Wheylyn stood, a deep frown on his face.

'It's almost like you don't want progress William' He said

'I have to agree with William' Charles said 'If they capture Wheylyn, what are we to do?'

'We carry on. We had a period of time that Wheylyn wasn't with us, I remember it well' Elenor pointed out

'I wish to leave Bryce in charge when I go. We have no way of knowing how long Selena, Shai and I will be gone. I believe it is best if I elect a temporary leader now' Wheylyn said

'Are you sure you want to do this?' Charles asked 'I have nothing against Selena, but it is not her I distrust'

'Lao Shi apologised for his mistake, there was genuine guilt in his eyes' I said

'It doesn't matter if he was guilty or not. If the dragons decide to capture you all who is supposed to lead us, if not your father, you or Shai?' William asked

I pulled a face 'I wasn't aware Shai or I had a sudden responsibility to lead here'

'You do not unless something happens to me, which it won't' Wheylyn said loudly

'What if it does Wheylyn?' William snapped

'Fine, if you are so against Wheylyn going, then I will go with her' Bryce said

'You will do no such thing!' I shot back

'And why not?' Bryce asked

'Because we are expecting' Elenor said

'Our baby will probably be hybrid like Selena. What if Selena proves hybrids are safe? It won't have to hide like we do and it also won't have the trauma of transforming and being compelled to bite every month' Bryce replied

Elenor held her belly and looked at Bryce with a pained expression. I stood up and went to her and put my hand on her shoulder.

'I agree with Elenor' I said

'As do I. Fathers should be with their children' Wheylyn said, looking at me meaningfully

Charles sighed 'I believe that settles it, Wheylyn, Shai and Selena will go'

'I don't think Shai should go either' I said

'What?' Wheylyn asked

'What if they don't understand him? And they treat him like a dangerous dog? He has a family too, a pack' I pointed out

'_But you are blood Selena_' Shai said

'I know Shai, and I'd do it for you, but I'm not having them tag you. I think if I take two tagged Lycanthropics with me they won't be bothered about keeping them back' I replied 'I made a deal that whoever went with me would be allowed to walk away with no consequence but I don't know these other people and I don't know whether they'll double cross'

'I will go then' Charles said

'_But I-_' Shai started

'Selena is right Shai. They'll be more bothered about you than us' Wheylyn said

Shai looked at me one last time and around at everyone else before sighing in defeat and nodding.

'_Alright, I will remain here_'

XxXxX

The Sphinx hair net had been on Jake for so long now that he was feeling very lethargic and drowsy, feeling stupid for actually getting into someone else's vehicle and being trapped like this. The cell he was in had no windows and due to him spending hours dozing, he was unsure of how long he'd been there.

The cell doors suddenly burst open, waking him from his stupor and Jake could only roll his head to look over at the Warlock. It was the first time he'd actually seen him. He wasn't any Warlock he'd ever come across so he just rolled his eyes and looked away.

'If you're gonna kill me just do it. I know scales and hide go into your potions and spells' Jake said lazily

'Why would I kill you when I can lure out a Lycanthropic?'

His voice was smooth like silk and dangerous sounding. Jake's head flicked back to him.

'What do you want with Selena?' He asked, managing a menacing tone despite feeling anything but.

XxXxX

Lao Shi arranged for us to meet in the local park again and then I had to wait another two days. It was likely I would be taken in there and then so it was difficult saying good bye. I'd been given word that Wheylyn and Charles would go free as long as I handed myself in. It was a tricky negotiation but I knew that these events wouldn't have made things easy. Shai had told me he hadn't foreseen Jake going missing or else he would've done something to stop it.

As we made our way back to the park my stomach burned with nerves. Wheylyn had his hand on my shoulder as we approached the three figures. When the light adjusted and I could see better there was a teenager there I didn't expect to see.

'Hayley?' I asked

She didn't reply and her lip wobbled slightly but her eyes said it all. I didn't think she blamed me or was angry with me in any way. She was just highly stressed and upset.

The man with them had dark blue robes and white hair; he was elderly but not as old as Lao Shi. I didn't know what to expect so I simply nodded to him. Lao Shi stepped forwards and shook my hand before turning to Wheylyn.

'I should have realised it was you' Lao Shi said quietly

Wheylyn looked at him confused before his eyes widened 'Chinese Dragon!'

'You know each other?' I asked

'I was the one who was meant to apprehend your father before he fled back to America. I should have seen the resemblance' Lao Shi said

'Wheylyn the uncatchable' The man with Lao Shi said with a shake of his head 'Many years you've eluded us, and Charles'

Charles stiffened on my other side but didn't say anything himself. I stepped forwards.

'I want to know what you have planned. We gave you the initial idea, but what's the actual plan?' I asked

Lao Shi had a nervous look on his face, Hayley looked frightened but the council member looked calm.

'We will implant a tag and we intend to propose a swap. You for Jake Long but we doubt that they will give Jake up when they know Jake being there will probably keep you from fighting if they threaten him. The tag should lead us straight to you both and we have our best spell casters working on enchanting the tag to render wards useless'

Wheylyn stepped forwards 'Are we to step aside and trust only you to rescue my daughter? Or are we allowed to be involved?'

The council member looked hard at Wheylyn 'If you can be trusted'

'As long as this isn't implemented on the full moon, any lycanthropic should be okay to go' I said quickly

'We shall see' The council member said

I turned to Wheylyn and he hugged me hard, pressing a kiss to my temple before letting me go. It was hard, to walk away from them and trust that they wouldn't be followed. I'd dressed myself in my Lycanthropic clothes to make it clear who I stood with.

'No Wolfsbane, she's severely allergic to something in it' Wheylyn said

'We do not intend to drug her or deceive her' Lao Shi said

Wheylyn nodded and then he and Charles left. Wheylyn turned before he went out of sight to wave. Once he was gone I turned to face the dragons.

'What now?' I asked

XxXxX

We ended up flying back, Lao Shi carried me. Once we arrived I was led to a small room. There was a couch in there and a table with a jug of water and a glass set out on it. I sat on the couch and ignored the water. Not long after Lao Shi came into the room, followed by the same man who had escorted me back and a dark skinned man wearing ethnic looking clothing. I stood up and eyed them all. Lao Shi and the white haired man hung back but the dark skinned man raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture.

'Miss Tyler?' He asked, he'd made his voice soothing but I didn't trust it.

'Yes?' I asked sharply

'My name is Andam, we wish to speak with you about recent events' He explained

'Which ones? The ones where I felt forced to flee or the ones concerning Jake' I snapped

'Please, we mean you no harm. Our main concern is Jake' He replied patiently

'As is mine, but what happens when he is no longer a main concern?' I asked shortly

'Then our concern is the appeal launched by Luong Lao Shi and his Animal Guardian. Please be assured when matters turn to that there will be a fair case and we want to hear everyone's sides to things but right now all we wish is to locate Jake Long and then capture Vexus Bayard' He told me

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion.

'Perhaps you would like your sister present?' He asked

My eyes widened 'Emily is here?'

He nodded and the door opened. Emily crashed through it she looked around briefly before charging at me. We met in the middle with a crash and embraced fiercly. She was also crying hysterically.

'Oh my god Selena!' She said into my hair

She held me at arm's length and brushed my hair out of my face and cupped my face in both her hands.

'You have no idea how worried sick I was' She said tearfully

I reached up and brushed the tears away.

'I'm fine Em, I'm fine' I replied, my own eyes overspilling

She embraced me again and pressed a kiss to my head before turning to the dragons still in the room.

'What happens now?' She asked, her voice was also sharp.

'We have a plan to not only locate and rescue Jake Long but also capture Bayard and any accomplices' The white haired man replied

'And then?' Emily asked

'We wish to hear the appeal fairly and quickly' Andam told her.

'Emily, I agreed to this' I said

'Yes she did. I have no idea why you are putting up an argument Miss Tyler' The white haired man said, his voice as sharp as mine.

I managed to keep check of my temper but I couldn't keep venom out of my voice 'Forgive me but I find it hard to trust people who are the reason why my parents had to separate, why I grew up without a proper father in my life and who also caused us to move to almost the other side of the world! You have no idea the damage you inflict on people affected by Lycanthropy'

'Lycanthropics are dangerous!' He boomed

'Not by any reason they can control! Do you think they enjoy it? Feeling compulsion to bite humans or being forced to transform! You have no clue! Did you ever stop to ask one how they felt?' I asked

I was met with silence but I continued.

'I've been privileged enough to meet a few and I can tell you, they did not choose it and they wish they weren't afflicted. Did you know that nearly half who are bitten don't even survive their first transformation?' I paused to step forwards 'Do you know of the pain their families feel? Or do you even care?'

'That's enough!' Andam said firmly

My eyes flicked to him and I scowled. I allowed Emily to grip my arm and she pulled me back.

'The anger between Dragons and Lycanthropics must end. We are hoping that this rescue can allow us to draw up treaties and contracts between our species' Andam told me

'We will see' I replied

Emily and I were led to another room; it was like a conference room with just a table and chairs around it inside. We sat around and drew up a plan. We decided to be really brazen and that I would go home but school had broken up for the summer now so I would be left home alone. The extra dragon guards would be lifted but the dragon council wanted at least one dragon with me at all times. The bounty hunter could probably take down one dragon and certainly would try to get to me.

'About the Tag' Andam said sensitively

I looked up and swallowed 'I'm willing to do it, and I'd rather it be removed after we're done'

'By all means, we can agree to those terms' Andam agreed easily 'We normally implant tags under the arm but this is where Bayard will search for one. We want to implant it into another fleshy area such as the inside of your leg or your belly'

I agreed to have the tag implanted into the inside of my leg, we decided it was the most secretive place and I was to tell no one where it was. I was led into a medical area; Emily went with me to keep an eye on things. She held my hand as a female dragon made a very small incision into my skin and then placed a small round metal object into the hole before putting two stitches into the incision and then placing a gauze pad over it.

'Keep it clean; don't get it wet until two days at least. The stitches should dissolve on their own and won't need removing' She instructed me

I nodded and an Indian woman met us outside the medical room. She gave a nod and a smile to Emily before looking at me. I got the impression Emily already knew who this was so I didn't say anything.

'Selena, this is Sun Parker. She's Hayley's dragon master and she's been involved in the search for Jake' Emily said

Sun stuck out her hand and gave me a friendly smile. I took her hand and shook it. Hayley and Lao Shi walked to us followed by Andam. Andam and Lao Shi stood back from us but Hayley walked over and stood with Sun. I tried not to look at her, in the light the young teenager's face looked tired and stressed, her eyes had black circles underneath and her skin looked dull.

I knew it wasn't wholly my fault but I felt like I should've just given myself in to the dragon council in the first place. I wouldn't have met Wheylyn or Shai but at least Jake would've been safe and his family wouldn't be so worried. Hayley suddenly reached out and took my hand. I jumped at the contact and looked at her.

'I can see what you're thinking, and you're wrong. This isn't your fault' She told me sternly

'Why couldn't I have guessed that the bounty hunter might have targeted Jake because he couldn't get to my family?' I replied

'Because of the reason the rest of us wouldn't have guessed. Jake can take care of himself which is why we're all confused. He must've been tricked somehow' Hayley told me 'It doesn't matter what happened though, it wasn't your fault'

I blinked quickly, to keep my eyes from watering as Lao Shi and Andam walked over.

'Councillor Andam has been kind enough to give us a transport spell' Lao Shi told us

He stood watching as Lao Shi threw purple powder to the floor and with a poof of matching light, we were inside the Long's house. Susan Long greeted Hayley with a huge hug before she turned to me. I tensed but Emily had hold of my shoulder and she squeezed as reassuringly as she could.

'Selena, are you alright?' Susan asked, concern in her voice.

I frowned and glanced Emily who gave me a small nod and I looked around at Susan again.

'I'm alright, I just want to get Jake found' I replied

She gave a nod and Jonathan walked in 'Well hello Selena'

'Hi' I replied hesitantly

'Don't you worry about things. None of us blame you, I'm sure you would've done what you could to stop things happening' Jonathan smiled

I found myself feeling overwhelmed and I sat down on the sofa with my head bowed. I found I couldn't contain tears and they dripped slowly straight out of my eyes onto the carpet in the Long's home.

'I'd best get Selena home' I head Emily say quietly

My sister pulled me up and led me out slowly. I was in a complete daze, it felt like everything had been so fast moving that finally there was time for the situation to properly sink in. About halfway up the front path I heard Snow's thoughts for the first time. She was frantic but joyful. I broke away from Emily to rush the rest of the way up the path and pull the front door open.

Snow collided with my body and I sank to the floor, sitting down in a lazy kneel with my arms twined around her neck. She nuzzled in, small whimpers of both joy and excitement bubbled from her throat. I felt tears leaking from my eyes at the pure emotion of simply being back with her.

'She's been so quiet' Emily said

Snow had now pulled away from my hug and she'd laid on the floor, her head resting on my knees.

'Come on Snow, I need to get Selena to bed' Emily said

Snow got up but her shoulder was glued to my leg as Emily led me up the stairs. Once I was on my room, I immediately noticed the absence of Buck's cage. I went to the space where it usually was and looked down, putting it together in my head. I looked around at Emily to confirm it and she looked at me sadly from the doorway.

'I'm so sorry Selena. Within the first week you left he just got sick. I tried everything-I took him to the vet-they couldn't-I-I'm so sorry' She stammered, her voice wobbling.

I felt my lip wobble again and I just knelt to the floor, resting my hand on the patch of carpet where his cage had been. Snow was next to me, immediately trying to comfort me as tears dripped down my face and straight onto the carpet. I wasn't sure how long I was there or when Emily left but at some point I got up and managed to peel my clothes off. I found some thin and soft sweat pants and a vest and pulled them on. I simply raked my fingers through my hair and climbed into bed.

Snow refused to sleep on her cover and she squeezed herself onto my bed with me, her head resting across my stomach, my arm resting across her shoulders. Tears leaked out of the sides of my eyes into my hair right up until I fell asleep.

_I was running along a corridor, being pulled by someone with me. I wasn't sure who it was at all all I knew was that if we stopped running we'd both be done for. A right turn, a left turn and then they shoved a door open to the bottom of a staircase. I could smell fresh air and I hesitated only a second before the person with me was pulling me up the stairs. I turned and I was unsure why but I got the sudden urge to shove who was with me down to the ground. A white hot pain shot into my back._

I woke up with a shriek of pain. I sat up sharply and scrabbled at my back but found nothing before I realised I must've been dreaming. Then I realised my eyes were really sore and glued almost shut with gunky stuff. I rubbed at them, trying to clear them of stuff so I could open them. Once I'd managed to clear my eyes I looked around, remembering with a pang what had happened and where I was.

Snow was gone and a warm and homely smell was drafting up from the kitchen. I laid back in my bed, not fancying the pancakes and bacon Emily was cooking downstairs. I zoned in and out for a bit until my door pushed open. I turned my head to see Emily in the doorway.

'You're awake' She stated, coming over, placing the food on my bedside table and sitting in the gap Snow had left.

'Yeah. Where's Nicky?' I asked

'Pete came home on leave. He's taken him to a motel to keep him safe. The council has told me to go there with them today to leave you home alone' She said

She looked down at her hands, her face creased up and I realised she must've been worried sick and what she must be feeling at the prospect of leaving me here to be captured on purpose. I sat up and put my hand over hers.

'Hey, don't worry Em. Everything's going to be alright. The Dragons, they seem to have everything under control' I tried to reassure her

'I'm an awful sister! Leaving you here for that-that-man!' She wailed suddenly, I jumped 'I promised Mum I'd take care of you and look at it! Everything's ruined, how is everything going to go back to normal?'

I sat up and threw my arms around her, she cried into my shoulder quite violently. Emily wasn't one for crying, it took a lot to set her off. Out of the two of us she was the strong one, preferring to hold it all in. I was the one who cried when things got tough. I knew she had just held too much in the past three weeks.

'You have did and have done everything you could' I told her

She nodded and wiped her eyes 'Why did he target Jake? Why not just try harder to get to me or Nicky?'

I furrowed my eyebrows 'Because...because I care for Jake. A lot, he must've been spying on us, must've been trying to get me alone and when I dipped off the radar he must've just gone for Jake instead to flush me out'

Emily was currently wiping her eyes 'You like him?'

I just nodded. Emily wiped her eyes and brushed her hair out of her face.

'I still don't like this idea' She said, sniffling

'You agreed to it as much as I did' I replied

'I know but you could really get hurt and what if they find that tag?' Emily asked

'Then me and Jake will think of something' I replied

It took me an hour or two to convince her but eventually I'd helped her get her things packed away and then she got in her car and drove away. I took a shower and dressed myself before heading onto the back garden. A stone over a mound of disturbed grass as well as a very slight smell of decay marked where Buck was. I stopped breathing through my nose; a highly strung sense of smell was awful sometimes. Snow came over and nosed me with a whine. I scrunched her ears, letting her soothing and comforting emotions run through my head.

Eventually I went back inside but as soon as the door was open there was the smell of someone I didn't know in the house. I shut the door in Snow's face and leaned against the door, sniffing deeply through my nose.

'Alright, I know you're in here' I called out

I walked forwards slowly, thanking the fact that I was barefoot so I made no noise. I passed the dining room and a blurred shape moved in the crack of the door. I transformed and turned only to be met with a sharp sting in the side of my neck. I changed back and felt up my neck in alarm and tried to pull the dart out but the pain it caused told me it must be barbed or something. I could feel the familiar effect of Wolfsbane pumping through my system. I felt my legs go wobbly and then buckle under me.

'You idiot!' I shouted out, I was aware my speech was slightly slurred 'I nearly died last time I had this stuff!'

A large man came out of the dining room, looking down at me where I laid on the floor. He had a smug smile on his face.

'You had two darts last time. Even I know not to give a wolf that amount of this, it's dangerous even for a wolf who isn't allergic to have a dose that big'

He had an odd accent, definitely not American. I had my eyes narrowed, wondering how he knew I'd had two doses the last time I'd been drugged with this stuff when there was a loud crash and Snow darted between his legs and crouched over me, growling low in her throat as I struggled to keep conscious. The bounty hunter simply laughed and I reached up and pushed her head away. She broke off her growling and gave me a small whimper.

'Back away Snow' I managed to mutter

She licked my cheek and laid down onto my back, nuzzling with her snout.

'Good girl, go in the kitchen' I told her

The bounty hunter went to the door and opened it for her. She got up off me and slunk past him, growling low as she did. The fur in her back and around her shoulder's all puffed up. As soon as she was through the door he slammed it shut behind her and advanced on me. I didn't have time to do anything as my vision went completely black.

XxXxX

_Sorry about the long wait. Took me ages to muddle this through and I had about three different versions! _

_As always review please! _


	15. Chapter 14 Reunited

_We're coming to the end of this story soon guys. Will probably only be another three or so chapters. Anyway, read on!_

XxXxX

Jake was sat in his cell, back against the wall. The Warlock had been in not long ago, taken the net off him knowing he was too weak to transform now and announced that he had a gift for him. Jake really couldn't care what happened now, that was until the Warlock came back.

'What now?' Jake groaned tiredly

He could hear approaching footsteps too.

'A gift, American Dragon'

The bounty hunter came into view and it took a moment for Jake to register that he was carrying someone slung over his shoulder. The Warlock opened the door and the bounty hunter literally dropped whoever he was carrying onto the floor. Jake only needed to take in the long dark blonde locks for him to realise who it was.

'Selena!'

He crawled to her and brushed her hair off her face only to see she was unconscious and looked quite ill. He also found the dart, still sticking out of the side of her neck.

'What's this?' Jake asked 'What have you done to her?'

'I have been told she can be quite a handful, it was best to drug her. Don't worry, she'll survive' The Warlock smiled cruelly

Then the doors were slammed shut and Jake waited until they'd gone before pulling her into his lap and resting her head in the crook of one of his arms. He grabbed the dart to inspect it and found it was still pumping whatever had sedated her into her system. He pulled it and found the tip had been barbed, pulling it out had created a small wound which bled more than extracting a normal needle would.

He had a suspicion that whatever Selena had been drugged with was Wolfsbane and Bryce had told him she was allergic to something in it. He picked her up and made his way to the edge of the cell where he settled so she could rest her head on his chest and he could lean against the wall. He laid his arm in the curve of her waist, ready to wait the night out.

XxXxX

I woke up with my head resting on something soft and warm. I let my head rest there for a moment and then suddenly I registered Jake's fiery scent. I sat up carefully, realising he was sleeping. I could still feel the effects of the Wolfsbane, although it would be breaking down fully by now.

Jake didn't look like he'd weathered his time in captivity well. He'd lost weight and looked slightly gaunt. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked paler than usual. I felt my heart practically break and then anger at Bayard, my blood was practically boiling and I felt the extreme urge to hit something but refrained.

I hated to wake him but I needed to talk to him before Bayard came back. I touched his hair, pushing it back from his face slightly.

'Jake?'

He stirred almost immediately, his dark eyes opening. He took a second to focus and wake fully but when he did he sat forwards quickly.

'Selena! Are you alright? Are you in pain?'

'Shush, I'm fine' I replied 'I won't be able to transform for awhile though. The stuff is still in my system but it's breaking down now'

'You can feel it?' Jake asked

'No I can remember from last time' I replied

Jake studied me for a second, lifting his hand to my face and stroking my hair back.

'Why did you fall for it?' He asked

'Why did you get in a stranger's car? Didn't they teach you about that at school?' I asked

Jake closed his eyes 'I was stupid, he played me using you'

I shook my head 'Don't worry, there is a point to me being here. I bargained being used as a tracking device by your council in exchange for a fair judgement'

Jake's eyes widened 'How?'

'Too long to tell you now, you'll know as soon as we're out of here'

I reached down and felt the inside of my leg. The tag was still there, which meant that we'd gotten it past Bayard's attention. Of course there was still a risk it could be found. Jake was looking at me intently.

'What?' I asked

'I missed you' He said simply

I sighed 'I missed you too'

He sat forwards, leaning in. I was sure it was to kiss but I diverted it into a hug. I heard him sigh with discontent but we didn't have time. As far as I was concerned we were still just friends, we never established what we were. I couldn't let my focus slip and I certainly wasn't going to out Jake at more risk by letting him kiss me in the lion's den.

There was a clang of an opening door and I pulled away from Jake immediately. Two men came to outside our cell, one of them was tall, broad and solid looking. Muscles on his muscles kind of guy. The other was smaller, skinnier and was about the same age as Wheylyn, then it twigged, this was Bayard. Then I noticed the large wolf creature with the big guy who had to be the bounty hunter. I stood up and went right to the bars.

'I'm willing to make a deal with you' I told him

He grinned cockily 'What kind of deal, Miss Tyler?'

I furrowed my brows, wondering if his magic would hold me to my word or if I could get away with lying. I decided I'd have to risk it, to try and get Jake out of here.

'I'll stay here willingly, if you let Jake go' I said confidently

'What! Selena-' Jake started

'Back off Jake!' I growled, not breaking my eye contact with Bayard

'I cannot accept that offer Miss Tyler. You see, Jake Long, still has uses for me' He said

I narrowed my eyes and took a few steps back 'Then prepare for the worst prisoner you will ever have'

XxXxX

_Just a little something to keep you going, I'm very sorry for the irregular updates. Got a few things going on and unfourtunately updating hasn't been high on my list of priorities but if you're still reading this, you aren't forgotten. _

_Reviews aren't so imperative on this one, I know there's not much that can be commented on. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and added this to some sort of alert! It's always appreciated. _


	16. Chapter 15 Forgotten Memories

Jake watched Selena, ready herself into some kind of stance. He realised she was getting ready for a fight and he stood up. Her eyes flicked to him before she refocused.

Bayard let out a small laugh 'You are entertaining, _pretty dog_. I could take you down easily with magic or just dart you again'

Selena smirked 'You can't dart me again for at least a week or the chance I will die will go up. I wouldn't be much use to you then, would I?'

Bayard's grin slipped just a little and Jake realised Selena had called some kind of bluff. He couldn't harm her, he needed her. The situation was different for him though. Selena knowing this had touched some sort of nerve in Bayard.

'Just for the entertainment of this, Skellard, go in there and teach her some manners' Bayard ordered

'Gladly' the bounty hunter, Skellard cracked his knuckles.

Jake panicked, Selena was small and thin, even though she was relatively strong he wasn't sure she could take a direct beating and he wasn't in the best condition to protect her himself. He was too weak from having the Sphinx net on him for so long, only having been removed a day ago to transform and not having enough strength and energy to fight hand to hand himself. Rose had given him a few good pointers and showed him a few moves but it was useless at the moment.

XxXxX

I didn't claim to be a martial arts expert but winning a fight wasn't the point. Andam had told me that the tag could detect if I went into high-stress or got physical injuries. There was a point to getting beat up and it was to make them hurry along. I took a breath as I weighed up the man in front of me. He had more defined and worked on arms, telling me he relied on upper-body strength. His weakness would be his legs.

He simply stormed in and attempted to attack right away. I dodged easily and kicked him as he went. He spun almost immediately, clearly taken by surprise. I supposed he was expecting to just lamp me a good one in the face and that be it. He hung back now and I circled slightly, arranging my face carefully into a cruel kind of smirk.

Then it suddenly twigged, Skellard. That wasn't a common name and I'd met someone with that surname during my time in the Sanctuary. This brief realization distracted me long enough that he'd advanced suddenly and grabbed my arm, twisting it so it was twisted up behind my back and he forced me to my knees.

'Skellard! I know your mother' I blurted, my voice contorted with the pain of his grip.

He let go of me suddenly making me spill forward, looking at me in shock 'What?'

'She was in the Lycanthropy Sanctuary. That's why you're doing this isn't it? Is this twisted revenge against whoever infected her or is it an effort to get her out?'

Skellard looked at me in shock before pure hate changed his features. Oops, perhaps that was the wrong move. I went to get up but he kicked me in the gut. Harder than I thought he would. I spun, landing solidly on my back.

'Selena!' Jake shouted

I blinked and heard another thud and looked around to see Jake also lying on his back. Skellard wasn't interested in fighting Jake though, his attention was on me.

'Your kind infected her! She didn't stand a chance; you should've seen the wounds! I know werewolves are compelled to bite but it was an attack!' He shouted

I was trying to ignore the vicious pain in my stomach and get up but he leaned down and yanked my arm. Spinning me and shoving me face first into the wall. I suddenly felt like a rag doll as I was thrown about like this. He pressed a hand to the side of my face and shoved my head against the wall. My chin and mouth cracked against the concrete harshly and I heard the noise of a knife being drawn.

'That's enough Skellard! Like she said, she's no use dead..yet'

He grabbed onto my hair and pulled me away, pushing me back down on the ground. As he passed, I stuck my leg out and tripped him. He didn't take the bait though. The cell door was slammed shut and I sighed. Jake was with me instantly.

'What the hell was that about?' He asked

I laughed 'It went well I think. There's enough damage to get their attention'

He frowned 'What?'

'Oh, I forgot to tell you. This tag got programmed with relaying if I got distressed or suffered physical injuries' I told him

Jake winced 'Well you have those alright, come here you're bleeding'

'Where?' I asked stupidly

Jake rolled his eyes 'Lip, chin'

I licked my lip, tasting the blood immediately and then pulling a face.

'No don-gross Selena, just...gross' He mumbled

I went to sit up but he stopped me 'Not yet, I want to check your ribs. That was huge kick and I don't care how tough you Lycanthropics are, that would break at least one or two of a regular human's ribs'

I nodded and he helped me slide up my top to just underneath my bra. I couldn't even focus on the normal nerves I would feel with this, my head was spinning and a headache was developing. I could feel blood still pumping from my lip and my chin. I was just about to tell him this when he gently pressed a hand to my side. I jumped slightly and he made a small soothing noise.

He pressed a bit harder but everything felt normal. I sighed impatiently as he examined all down my right side, poking here, prodding there before sitting back.

'Done?' I asked

'No, I need to do the left' He told me patiently

I stuck out my tongue at him and he chuckled lowly. He started at the top of my ribs and once he got to the very bottom one I winced and jerked away from him. He frowned deeply.

'I don't know how bad that could be' He told me

'I'll be fine, speed healing remember' I reminded him

He settled properly next to me and used his sleeve to wipe off the blood on my face. I laid still, just letting him. He kept on making tutting noises which I just rolled my eyes at.

'How is everyone?' Jake asked

I looked at him and was surprised to see the sudden sheer amount of emotion in his eyes. My first instinct was to embrace him like he had me in moments of high emotion but he put his hand on my shoulder as I went to sit up.

'No, stay down for a bit. At least until the pain goes'

I nodded, trying to find the right words. I was torn between telling the complete truth but I knew right now it would only make things worse.

'They're...I won't lie, they're not good. Beyond worried but they're thinking straight and everyone agreed to this. They all know what's happening. It's so close to the full moon though-wait, how long was I out for?' I asked

'Only the night but I'd say you were under for longer. Do you know when they got you?' Jake asked

'I'm such a fool! I completely lost track of time these past few days. It's the full moon tonight Jake!' I told him frantically

'What does that mean?' Jake asked

'It means they'll be busting us out very soon or we're stuck here for another night' I replied

'We are in no condition to fight. You haven't eaten anything the entire time you've been here which is easily twenty four hours and I'm not doing so hot either' Jake replied

I could finally feel the pain ebbing and I sat up. Jake helped me stand and I went to the bars, rattling them harshly.

'Selena! What are you doing?' Jake asked

'Making good of my word. I'm going to make them come for us today, before the moon if I have to' I hissed

'Stop, you'll get yourself killed!' Jake shouted, coming over and yanking my hands away.

Skellard came down after fifteen minutes and moved me into the cell next to Jake. I could hear him yelling in protest but Skellard ignored him. Despite the pain in my side I fought as hard as I could, getting shoved to the ground face first was my only reward. He paced around me as I rolled over, his eyes were full of hate.

'It's wrong to condemn me for what another of my kind did. I can't argue for them all but most hate what they've become and do everything they can to prevent it from happening to someone else' I said

'Listen to her' Jake urged from his cell

'Shut it reptile!' He snarled

Jake's mouth opened in shock before a look of pure anger took over. I kicked at Skellard's shin in retaliation, feeling my own anger taking over.

'The nerve! You can talk, you treat us like monsters but you're doing monstrous things yourself!' I shouted

Skellard looked down at me, for a second I wondered if I'd crossed the line again and that he'd attack me. With Jake locked in a separate cell and Bayard not here to intervene I knew he could do some severe damage. He reached down and yanked me up by my arm, pulling me close to his face.

'The more you rile me, _dog_, the worse things will be for you once you aren't any use to Bayard' He hissed

He shoved me back, I stumbled backwards but managed not to fall. I flicked my hair out of my face and let out a feral yell, diving at him and transforming as I went. I slammed into him, front paws first not flinching when I heard his head crack against the ground. I moved off him and when he didn't move I recognised I could feel a pull to transform back. I realised it was because I still had Wolfsbane sitting in my bloodstream, I obeyed it and went to search his belt, finding keys for the cells. I pulled them off his belt and ran out of my cell, running around to Jake's and unlocking the door.

'We need to get out of here and now!' I urged

Jake got up and left the cell with me. I locked the door on the cell Skellard was in before leaving, taking the keys with me. We ran to the end of the corridor and up a flight of stairs before throwing the door open ot the top and cominf face to face with the wolf.

He was taken by surprise for a second before snarling loudly. I transformed, feeling the pull of transforming back because of the Wolfsbane still sitting in my system. It startled me but I didn't let it bother me as I stood in front of Jake, watching the wolf pacing in front of me. It was analysing me, searching it's best way to attack me. I decided to reach out.

_How can you work with a man who hates us?_

He snarled and snapped his jaws _I have no other purpose in life_

_Yes you do! There are others, my brother is like you. He can help you make good of your life. Don't waste it on this!_

_Who are you to talk of wasted lives? You've sat in a chushy environment your entire life while the rest of us have had to fight!_

_It was because I didn't know! But I do know now, and I will fight for Lycanthropics and any hybrid to find equality and understanding we deserve!_

He stopped snarling at me and stood up straight. Then I felt his presence in my mind, the vastness of his consciousness filled my head and for a second it was overwhelming. Then I realised he was searching memories when they began to flash before my eyes. He was pulling up things I had forgotten but were still stored.

_My mother frantically bundled us into a car, strapping me into a child's seat before turning to buckle Emily in._

'_I still don't see why we need to leave' Emily pouted_

'_We just have to darling. I can't explain it now but you'll understand when you're older, you both will. I just hope it's not too late'_

_Mum sticking a plaster over a grazed knee before pressing a kiss to my forehead._

'_There, all better now. Maybe you'll think twice before running around with a skipping rope' _

_I sniffed 'I was trying to run and skip so I can keep up with everyone else'_

_My first transformation flashed up. I remembered the pain of it, my limbs and bones twisting and changing in an unnatural way. Mum trying to pin me down to stop my convulses from injuring me. Emily standing scared in the doorway, eyes red from crying._

'_What's wrong with her!' She cried_

'_I don't know darling just...just go to your room!' _

_Me letting out a pained yell, crying uncontrollably. My thirteen year old body changing from human to wolf, my cries turning from human yells to dog like howls before finally I stopped, laid on my side and panting from the effects. _

'_Why is this happening to me? As if I needed anymore problems than everyone else my age! Why could boys and zits be my only problem?' I screamed at my mother_

_She was crying herself as she gripped my shoulders 'Because you're special'_

'_No, I'm a freak!' _

'_Stop shouting at Mum! It's not her fault!' Emily shouted_

'_She made me!'_

'_It's cancer darling. The doctors said it's already terminal' Mum told me, her eyes shining with tears._

_My lip wobbled but I said nothing. Choosing instead to bow my head and hide my tears so I didn't upset her anymore than she already was._

_Me sitting in a funeral hall, gripping Emily's hand until my knuckles were white. Her own face screwed up from the effort of not crying. A coffin sat before us on a plinth, a wreath of white lilies laid over the top of it. Once the service was over, I got up and placed a letter, folded underneath the lilies and laying my hand over the coffin._

'_I was a terrible daughter and you were a wonderful mother. How could someone like you, love me?' I asked under my breath_

_My meeting with Bryce only six months later, telling me about Lycanthropics but I realised something vital. He really did never once mention what it meant for me or anyone else with the disease. _

_Finally, the book Jake had given me flicked open and the writing inside. The way Lycanthropics had been painted as terrible monsters who only lived to spread their infection._

Finally the wolf withdrew from my mind and I transformed back into my human form, stumbling backwards into Jake's arms. Tears ran rapidly down my face and I put my hands over my eyes, suppressing a sob at the emotions this process had brought up.

'You are telling the truth' The wolf said out loud

I looked up, trembling from shock 'I've been many things in my life but a liar has not been one of them'

The wolf looked at me for a long time as I struggled to compose myself. Jake was gripping my hand tightly. The wolf walked right up to me and Jake took a step back, dragging me with him, wrapping an arm around my waist to support me.

'I will not harm you, in fact I am going to help you escape' He told us

I looked up at Jake and he looked down at me. A silent look of agreement from him was enough for me.

'Then help us, please and I will do everything I can to make sure you get what you deserve' I told him

He gave one nod 'Follow me'

XxXxX

_I hope this was alright. I think this was the best way to show more intimate memories of Selena's life and the insecurities she carries. Also I wanted to show that Selena's mother influenced a lot of aspects of both Emily and Selena's personality and the importance she had in both their lives._

_As usual review please. I understand this was a very deep and emotional chapter and I hope it wasn't too much!_


	17. Chapter 16 Potential Escape

_I don't own American Dragon or it's characters. I only own what you don't recognise. Geeze, these things are irritating :/ _

XxXxX

'This way' The black wolf shouted over his shoulder.

Jake was running along in front of me, dragging me along by my hand. The two transformations had really taken it out of me and my vision had gone blurred. It was infuriating to be dragged along and feeling helpless but I didn't have a choice at the moment and Jake knew it.

'Stop! Stop right there!'

There was an explosion above our heads and we stopped immediately as loose pebbles rained down on us. I looked behind me to see Bayard. Jake moved so he was stood in front of me, still holding my hand. The wolf slunk forwards to stand in front of us both. We glanced at one another with raised eyebrows, wondering what was going to happen.

'What is the meaning of this Bardo? I thought you were a loyal friend?' Bayard said, his voice slick.

'Friend?' The wolf snorted 'Servant more like. You've been deceitful Bayard, she hasn't hidden on purpose and with people like you after her, who can blame her?'

'Very quick to change sides Bardo' Bayard said

'Please, don't flatter yourself. I was never on your side'

Bayard's fist lit up with bright white magic and he struck out, sending a ball of light towards the black wolf. Jake let go of my hand and his arm transformed into his dragon form but it was only his arm. He stuck it out, in front of Bardo and it deflected the light. It spun off into the wall right beside Bayard and sent debris flying at him. He covered his face with his arm and we took the opportunity, turning and running away.

'Go down there, a right turn at the end, second left and through the door. You'll find a staircase, get up the stairs and you'll find a hatch, it opens outside to some woods. You'll be able to hide there' Bardo relayed

He skidded to a stop and Jake stopped so suddenly that I crashed into his hard back and stumbled around confused.

'What about you?' Jake asked

'I'll hold him off' Bardo said

I shook my head, trying to clear the hazy feeling 'But-'

'There's no time! Go' Bardo ordered

Jake didn't need telling twice, he grabbed my hand again and pulled me along. We ran to the end of the corridor and turned right, then Jake pulled me down the second left. All the time I was thinking in my head that this was all looking very familiar. We came to a door and Jake booted it open, dragging me along. I tugged back.

'Wait!' I yelled, wrenching my hand from his grip

'What?' Jake asked

'Help me jam this door shut' I told him

'How?' Jake asked

'Can you breathe fire?'

'Yeah, but w-'

'I need you to melt the hinges and the bolt' I told him

Jake got to work immediately, it was freaky, seeing him breathing fire from his human mouth. I could hear lots of crashing down the corridor. Then silence.

'That's it, we have to go!' Jake urged

He grabbed my arm and pulled me up the stairs. The door crashed open at the top and the bottom. I didn't have time to look up, I was more concerned with who was at the bottom. Bayard has smashed the door open, the time spent trying to melt the metal was wasted. He raised his arm, aiming for Jake. I knew exactly what was going to happen and just as he shot off a ball of light at Jake, I dived for him.

I crashed against him, sending us both flying but it wasn't enough time for me to get out of the way. The pain I'd felt in my dream was happening for real now and I gave a sharp but loud yell.

'Selena!'

I looked up sharply at the familiar voice and almost did a double take. Wheylyn, Shai and Bryce were at the door way. I could see behind them, more people. I could have cried in relief but I bowed me head and bit my lip instead, not wanting to show I was hurt to my Dad.

'HOW DARE YOU HARM MY DAUGHTER!'

'Say what!?' Jake asked

Wheylyn ran down the stairs, shooting past me and engaging Bayard in a hand to hand fight. I tried to get up myself but the pain in my back was spreading. Bruce rushed down to me, pulling a dagger as he did. He cut a slit in the back of my top to check what had happened. I could feel blood running across my back in several trickles from a burning area which seemed to be spreading rapidly. Jake was sat next to me, also looking.

'Shit!' Bryce cursed

'What?' Jake asked

'Selena, I'm really really sorry but this is going to hurt you' Bryce said

'What? No!' Jake shouted

'She's been shot with a silver bullet! And see these lines of grey spreading around it? That's essence of silver, a liquid form. I need to get the bullet out so it stops spreading into her system!' Bryce said harshly

'Ah ah. I wouldn't do that if I were you'

I raised my head to see William in the doorway, he was holding some weird device which looked like a highly styled gun.

'Where did you get that?' Jake asked, his voice dangerous

'The huntsclans left some very interesting relics behind. I've helped Bryce adapt them into, not only dragon weapons but werewolf ones too'

I lifted my head 'You're the spy' I accused weakly

William looked at me, his face smug and confident. I narrowed my eyes and my anger at him betraying Wheylyn was consuming me. Bryce sprang into action, yelling over his shoulder 'Get the bullet out!'

Bryce crashed into William and they began fighting outside. By now the burning feeling felt like it had spread across my entire back. Jake looked at me, unsure.

'Do it!' I urged him

Then I felt that urge. The urge to transform. A new sensation crossed me though the burning pain in my body started to shrink back and I felt the hazy feeling in my head leave me. The sensation of pain leaving was exhilarating almost pleasant and I stood up. Jake held my arm and then the pain went completely and there was a clink on the floor.

We both looked down and Jake bent down. He picked something up and held it in his open palm for us both to look at. It was twisted up and warped bullet. We both stared at it, amazed.

'Selena' Jake breathed

'Did...did my body just push that out?' I asked

We were brought back to reality by a sudden loud and pained yell. My head flicked up to Wheylyn. He'd thrown Bayard back who was looking up at him in horror. Wheylyn was stood straight up, his face looking dazed.

I looked up the stairs and saw the moonlight flooding the stairwell we were in. I knew what was happening. Wheylyn was transforming in here and Bryce and William would be transforming outside. Jake and I were trapped.


	18. Chapter 17 No One Can Have Your Blood

_Disclaimer- I don't own American Dragon. Just this plot and my characters_

XxXxX

I rushed forwards and grabbed Wheylyn's wrists. His head flicked to me and I gasped. His pupils had dilated to almost black and his green irises had turned a deep red. His teeth were extending to fangs, his face elongating into a snout. Fur was sprouting everywhere and his face was twisted in to a grotesque look of pain.

Jake grabbed my arms and yanked me away so hard, my head jerked and I stumbled back into him. Wheylyn's limbs twisted into the shape of dogs legs and paws and he went down onto all fours. I turned and shoved Jake around, pushing him back up the stairs.

'We've got to move! William and Bryce will be transforming' I told him

Wheylyn let out a fully fledged wolf howl and I gasped with surprise. The urge for me to transform was very strong now but I was relieved I was able to resist. I fell forwards on my face when a hand wrapped around my ankle. Bayard had lunged forwards and grabbed me. I shrieked and kicked out with my other foot, connecting with his face but he kept his grip, crawling up the stairs.

Jake had gotten outside and I could hear him arguing with someone and there was a lot of shouting going on. More people had arrived. My attention went back to Bayard as he straddled me, pinning me down and wrapping his hands around my throat. I let out a gurgled yell, scratching at his hands, trying my best to get him to let go. If anything he was angered and his grip tightened. He was pressing against my throat so tightly I could feel the step on the back of my neck, slowly helping him asphyxiate me.

'If I can't have your blood, no one can' He snarled

My breath was rapidly leaving me and my heart beat strummed in my head, my eyes felt like they would explode from my head and I gasped for air. My vision clouded at the edges and I kicked my legs around, hoping to dislodge him. My strength ebbed away, as well as my vision.

_Oh my god, I'm actually going to die_ I thought desperately _I didn't get to give Nicky another cuddle, I didn't get to give Em a hug and I told her I'd be okay! Heck I don't get to have another fist bump with Pete_ And then it hit me, making my eyes fill with tears _I never told Jake how I feel about him_

Then Bayard was yanked off me, he pulled a good handful of hair with him. Wheylyn was in full transformation and he was attacking Bayard. I turned my head away from the sight and rolled, pulling myself up. My throat still felt tight and I was coughing and gasping for air. I tried to drown out the horrible noises behind me as I stumbled my way up the stairs and out of the door.

I tripped on the uneven ground and fell flat on my face again. I'd lost count of how many times this had happened tonight. I lay stunned, shaking and still coughing and gasping.

'Selena! Get off me! I have to help her!'

Jake was yelling, there was the sound of a vicious fight going on. I looked up to see William and Bryce locked in a fight still but fully transformed. I could tell the difference and which was which from the fact that William had pure white hair and Bryce had got brown hair. Their pelts matched their hair and they were fighting ferociously.

Then I noticed another wolf bounding towards me. My eyes refocused and I recognised the slightly off-white fur and yellow eyes.

'Shai?' I asked

'Yes, get up Selena. You must get up, I can't carry you out' He told me

I nodded, still dazed and pulled myself up. But then I paid attention to the fight going on between Bryce and William. William was winning the fight and Bryce was covered in cuts and bites. I hesitated, my anger at William flooding back.

'No, there's nothing me can do' Shai told me

'Yes there is' I replied

I took off, running right at them, transforming as I went. My strength was renewed with my anger at William. I crashed into his side and knocked him off Bryce. William recovered quickly and lunged at me. I dodged and snapped at his snout but missed.

He attacked again, this time I snapped at his paws and managed to grab one, biting down. I got a small yelp for my efforts but he was biting down at the back of my neck. I pulled away, feeling the prickle of a few hairs being pulled out but nothing nasty. It was lucky my fur was of the long-haired variety and not short or else he might've got me.

He circled instead, forcing me to snap at him when he got too close to Bryce, who was crippled, for my liking. I took a few steps back, putting myself closer to him. Shai was helping him up and goading him into escaping. It seemed we could communicate with them in wolf form and help them focus. My protective instincts were going haywire as I growled harder, hoping to make myself a better target than them.

William went for me again but this time he reared up, I reared up too out of instinct but then realised my mistake. He was heavier and far stronger and he crashed down on me, both of us snapping and snarling at one another. He managed to land a few bites and I managed to as well. We were rolling around, in the thick of a fight but I was weak already and he took advantage. He pinned me with his body and grabbed at the scruff of my neck, pinning me by the baggy skin there.

I struggled, clawing the ground trying to get away. Jake was yelling loudly but I couldn't locate him. From the desperation in his voice, he could probably see what was happening. Then, William was ripped away from me, tugging my skin and cutting it with his teeth as he went. I looked up to see that Wheylyn had gotten out of the bunker Bayard had kept us in and had engaged William in a fight now.

I got up quickly and the two of us drove him away. He cowered at the sight of my father. He looked terrifying, his off-white fur around his snout and neck was dripping with blood and I tried not to wince. Finally there were two pops and thuds of something impacting and then a few seconds later both Wheylyn and William went down.

I looked around confused until Jake burst from the tree line. I transformed back into a human and he crashed into me, wrapping his arms around me tightly. I buried my face into his neck as he stroked down the back of my head gently.

The dragons emerged from the trees and I relaxed. Everything was going to be okay.

XxXxX

They returned us to their island. They kept their word and removed my tag almost as soon as we arrived back. Their healers treated mine and Jake's light injuries. They determined that the bullet had leaked liquid silver into my system but adrenalin had allowed me to overcome it and break it down quickly in my system. It had however, left grey swirling tracks under my skin which showed up through. They couldn't tell if it would be permanent or not yet and they had been very confused when I told them how my body had pushed the bullet out itself.

Wheylyn and Bayard were taken into separate rooms with locked doors to keep them safe during the night. William was taken to a cell. All of them remained unconscious; the council sedated them with doses of Wolfsbane strong enough to keep them unconscious for the night. Andam assured me that they'd agreed to it but they had thought things would go differently.

Emily was there, as was Jake's family. I could hear them all greeting him on the other side of the curtain separating our hospital beds. Emily had brought me an overnight bag and I showered, changed into my pyjamas and Emily settled me in bed.

'Where's Nicky?' I asked, finally feeling groggy enough to sleep.

'He's home with Pete. If they don't let you come home tomorrow I'll bring him to see you. I promise' Emily said soothingly

She stayed as I dropped into an exhausted sleep.

XxXxX

'Psst, Selena'

The voice roused me from a deep sleep. It was very early morning and a small amount of light was coming in through the windows.

'Selena?' I realised it was Jake

'Hmm, what?' I asked tiredly

'Are you awake?'

'I am now' I grumbled

I pushed the sheets back and sat up, rubbing my hair out of my face. Jake had parted the curtains between our beds and was stood in the gap. His face was hard to see in the dim light.

'Sorry' He replied quietly

He crossed the rest of the gap and sat at the end of my bed. Reaching and brushing the stray locks out of my eyes. He frowned.

'You've healed quicker than usual' He commented

'Really?' I asked

'Yeah. You had a split lip, the cut on your chin and bruising on your neck. It's all gone' Jake told me

'I wonder if the full moon did it' I speculated 'I've never had injuries on a full moon before. Perhaps it strengthens the body for the transformation'

'But you don't transform' Jake pointed out

'No but I was given the best circumstances for it. The Wolfsbane seemed to leave my system too' I said

We sat in silence. I was pondering what had happened but Jake was looking at me very intensely. I looked up at him and quirked my head.

'What?' I asked

'Did Bayard try and strangle you?' Jake asked, his voice deadly serious

I sighed 'Yes. He said, if he couldn't have my blood, no one could'

'What did he mean?' Jake asked, his face shocked

'I don't know. I have no clue'

I paused, struggling to find words to describe how I'd felt. Jake waited patiently, watching me, seeming to know that I was trying to put words together.

'I...I felt like I could feel my life slipping away. I thought I would die right there, in front of my Dad without getting to tell him I love him for being my father. I thought I'd never see Nicky or Emily again'

As I spoke, my voice got higher in pitch as I struggled to keep my emotion in check. The fear I'd felt during Bayard's attack came back to the surface. Jake shuffled further up the bed and gripped my hands, his face creased into distress. I took a few shuddering breaths, it was not or never. I'd been granted the opportunity to tell him how I felt when I had truly believed I would die without him knowing.

I looked up at him, his dark eyes seemed to glitter even in hardly any light. His scent was all around me, soothing me. He was looking at me carefully, the same intense look on his face, his thick eyebrows shadowing his eyes. I took a breath, my heart beating wildly and butterflies churning in my stomach.

'I thought I would die without seeing you again. Without getting to tell you how I feel about you'

His eyes flicked up to mine from where they had been watching our clasped hands. I took another breath.

'I honestly never thought in my life that I would be lucky enough to meet someone like you. Someone so caring, gentle and just all around gold. I was frightened of you at first but that was only because I could tell you were different from what I was used to. I've grown to care a lot about you Jake'

I was in the middle of my babbling when he let go of my hands and reached up to me. He tangled his fingers in the hair on the back of my head and drew me forwards. His lips fell on mine and I relaxed into him. He kissed gently but passionately, it was like I could feel all of his emotion. He pulled back and separated us long enough to get a breath and push me back.

I landed on my back, laid out on the bed. He moved over me immediately, kissing not just my lips but along my jaw, sweeping my hair aside to press kisses down my neck. Eventually though he calmed us both and he simply lay with me, his arms around me and his back pressed to my chest. He was stroking my hair back affectionately. He was soothing me back to sleep. Then he shifted, I felt a small gust of warm air on my ear.

'I love you Selena' He whispered

I turned my head to look at him. The intense look was back, suddenly I could see it was him showing the level of emotion he felt. He was showing me how he felt with his eyes. I smiled sleepily.

'I was trying to say that to you' I told him playfully

'I know, I wanted to say it first though' He replied easily

I smirked and turned back to snuggle into the pillows. He chuckled in my ear and wrapped his arms tighter. Both of us sank into a deep sleep.

XxXxX

_I know, a bit of romance but I don't write it often. _

_Also I'd like to offer a reader the chance to write a slightly heavier make-out scene between Selena and Jake. Obviously I would like to have input on this so the best way to describe it is a collaboration. You'd be fully credited for your effort. Before I make any firm decisions on this I'd like to see if anyone is interested in doing this for me. Drop me a PM if you are interested for further details. _

_Otherwise, happy readings and review please! _


	19. Chapter 18 The Trial Part One

_Well this is almost it. I wanted to say right now that I have an idea for a sequel if anyone is interested. I'll post more details about that next update. Also last chance for anyone who's interested in writing an intimate scene with Jake and Selena for me to PM me. _

_Anyway, on with the chapter!_

XxXxX

When they'd said fair trial, sitting in a conference room with Emily, my father, Bryce and Shai on a table with me on one side and Jake, Lao Shi and Fu Dog and all the council members situated around us. Emily sat on one side of me, Wheylyn sat on the other. Over-night, all Wheylyn and Bryce's injuries had healed and they both looked slightly groggy but none the worse for wear. Jake was the only one who had a few bruises dotted on him.

'The first thing we need to go over is what happened while Jake was missing and what happened last night' Andam said

Jake slowly went over what had happened, what he'd heard and anything else he could think of. They'd kept him in that dank little cell for the whole two weeks, only taking the net off him so he could eat and drink and they'd let him out twice a day to use a bathroom and they'd let him have a shower only twice. That explained why he'd been so eager to get into the shower last night. I tried not to feel ill and I noticed Lao Shi get pale with an angry look on his face.

We discovered that there had been more than one person involved. Skellard had been found in the cell I'd locked him in but Jake said the person who captured him in the airport was another man called Rorick Fey. This man was still on the loose but Jake could give a detailed description of what he looked like and sounded like as well as the van he'd been transported in.

When it became clear to me that they weren't mentioning Bardo, I became shifty. Shai kept glancing at me and I finally had to speak up.

'Did you find a lycanthropic hybrid who was like Shai?' I asked

'Yes we did. He is recovering in a cell' The white haired council man told me.

'He shouldn't be in a cell!' I said loudly

Emily tried to shush me.

'He helped me and Selena escape' Jake said

They all looked up in surprise, Shai got up.

'This lycanthropic hybrid is very rare. I had previously thought there were only three others in existance' Shai told them.

'The rarity doesn't matter; it had a hand in the American Dragon's kidnapping'

'It?!' I asked angrily 'He happens to have saved mine and Jake's lives. We would never have gotten past Bayard if it hadn't have been for him!'

The silence now was heavy and awkward. I took a few deep breaths. Andam looked around.

'Perhaps we should take a break. We'll re-convene in five minutes' He said

I got up and stormed out. Emily was about to follow me but Jake held her back and followed me himself. I went a few corridors away and lent against the wall. Jake approached me and stood in front of me.

'What was that about?' He asked

I shied my head away 'I lost my temper, it won't happen again'

'You're damn right it won't happen again! You're supposed to be proving you can control yourself!' Jake replied angrily

'It's not fair Jake! How would you feel if someone treated your race like this because you were considered dangerous?' I shouted

My eyes had filled with angry tears and I swiped the away turning my back and folding my arms.

'If someone who saved our lives is thrown in a cell, then what hope do I have? They'll put that stupid tag back in me, Wheylyn, Bryce and Shai will be locked up and we'll never be allowed to be together' I said

Jake walked around me to face me but I lowered my head. He didn't try to make me look at him.

'I know how you feel. I'm half Chinese Selena, even though I was born here, people still treat me like I'm different because I look different' He told me

I looked up at him, not really thinking of things like that. He nodded.

'You don't understand it because you aren't thinking I am different because I look different' Jake supplied for me 'You're right, they aren't treating you that way and they should be. But please Selena, control your temper and this will go a lot smoother'

I took a breath and he took a step closer, stepping in my space. I looked up at him, his eyebrows were furrowed at me, shadowing his dark and glittery eyes. I rushed at him and threw my arms around his middle. He dipped his head and leaned his chin on the top of my head with his own arms wrapped around me in return. I breathed in his familiar scent, letting the fiery smell calm me.

'I'm sorry, I'll keep better control' I whispered

He kissed the top of my head but didn't say anything, he just squeezed me tighter slightly before letting go and backing away. We made our way back to the conference room, it was slightly awkward when we saw we were last to arrive back and we arrived back together.

'We have decided to put your _friend_ in a recovery room instead of his cell. He is very cooperative and we will interview him at a later time' The white haired council man told me.

I narrowed my eyes at the way he said the word friend but I held my tongue. He looked at me, slightly satisfied.

'So Selena. How is it that you came to discover you were a Werewolf?' Andam asked

'I hit puberty and transformed suddenly. I hadn't known about it before then. It was...traumatic' I said

'It's true, she never did it before then' Emily supplied 'I was there and so was our mother. She was trying to keep Selena pinned down because it was almost like a seizure and she could've hurt herself'

'If it was so violent couldn't she have harmed either of you?' The female council member asked

Emily's cheeks went slightly red 'She was in too much pain to do anything!'

'Emily' I cautioned her before looking around 'I know you have ways of seeing memories. You can look at both of our memories of it if you really like'

'I'm worried that if this event was so traumatic for both of you that you might have inaccurate recollections of it. It's a pity your mother is no longer with us'

I stood up 'I was under the impression that this was to be a fair trial? And that the likes of you wouldn't be here to try and goad me into losing my temper. I can tell you, I am in full control of everything to do with my Lycanthropic side! I've never bitten anyone, never attacked anyone or done anything wrong and you should know that even if I did I'm no threat because I carry no venom to spread the disease. The only thing I've ever used Lycanthromorphing for before all this was to play with my dog at a more equal level!'

'So you can see, you have nothing against her' Emily smirked

'Why did your mother run away with you then?' The female council member asked

'Because I told her to' Wheylyn supplied 'I've lived my life hiding from you people. My life was a misery, and then the one good thing I found; a family, you had to rip it away from me. I didn't want that life for Selena, I wanted her to be happy and as far as I knew at that time, she was a normal baby girl. But you still came looking for her'

The room went silent; the council members looked at one another. I remained standing. Lao Shi cleared his throat.

'I would also like to make you all aware that if I'd known more about Selena, I would never had said anything to you. I would have let her carry on under the radar'

I looked around at him, he stood up and came to stand in front of me. I turned to face him and in front of everyone he bowed his head to me.

'Please forgive me, if I had waited to get to know you none of this would have happened. My actions have put your family and my family in distress this last month. I deeply and humbly apologise'

I smiled and held his hand 'Apology fully accepted, Lao Shi'

Emily leaned over and placed her hand on his shoulder.

'So you can see, our separate species can get along, as long as we understand one another. Selena knows that Lycanthropy can be a dangerous thing but Wheylyn made a way for it to be contained and controlled. We could set up, dozens of safe-houses all over the world where Lycanthropics can go to keep themselves from spreading their diseases and then the real dangerous ones who don't want to or don't care to can be tagged and controlled' Jake told them

'It would be the best thing to happen to our people' Wheylyn agreed

'Lycanthropics like William are the dangerous ones. Young Lycanthropics are the greater danger. We keep them locked in a room during their transformations but Lycanthropics like Bryce and I, who have been transforming for many years can learn to control ourselves during the full moon' Wheylyn told us

'We are not dangerous animals. We are humans with an affliction. We shouldn't be punished for something that was out of our control and that we never wanted or agreed to' Bryce said

'Tell me, have you ever bitten anyone Bryce?' The white haired man asked

Bryce hung his head 'I bit Wheylyn when we were kids'

'So you gave your disease to Wheylyn?'

'Yes'

'Have you ever bitten anyone Wheylyn?' The white haired man asked

'No, I built a reinforced shed which we both went in. The only person I've ever spread my disease to is Selena and she can't be counted as dangerous' Wheylyn said firmly

'What made you travel to England?' Andam asked

'I was hiding from you' Wheylyn replied icily

'So, meeting a woman was not your intention?'

'No! It just happened. I loved Melanie with everything I had and then when we had Selena I saw them as my future. I even loved Emily despite the fact that she wasn't mine'

Emily's head flicked to him and her blue eyes went very soft. I had tensed; I'd not heard our mother's name spoken since she had died. Neither of us had said it and no one had said it to us.

Andam sat thoughtfully 'I think that we cannot escape the fact that this has been handled very wrongly. Not just with this family either, there are many that have been hurt by our blindness. If you will, we will reconvene in an hour'

We all looked at each other, confused before getting up and leaving.


	20. Chapter 19 The Trial Part 2

_Second to last chapter! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed and even clicked on this to look. _

XxXxX

Selena paced the room nervously. Emily had her hands in her hair with her head bowed out of our views. Jake was sat watching the clock on the wall and Loa Shi and Fu Dog were watching me pace. Wheylyn and Bryce were talking quietly.

'Seriously, doll face, you'll wear a hole in the floor' Fu tried to lighten the mood

'They said an hour, it's been nearly an hour and a half' Selena replied 'What could be taking them so long?'

'Please sit down Selena and try to calm' Wheylyn said

'How can you sit there and ask me to be calm? This is all of our butts on the line here!' She shot back 'Not just mine'

'You don't have anything to fear' Wheylyn tried to reassure her.

Jake watched them. Wheylyn got up and pulled Selena's hand until she looked at him. Jake knew there was nothing he could do to reassure her at this point. He glanced over at Emily, surprised to see her the way she was. Then again, Selena was a huge part of her life and there was a lot riding on this.

Wheylyn had embraced Selena who had her face buried in his chest. Her hair covered Jake's view of her expression. They looked very alike; there was no mistaking their resemblance. The same shade of dark blonde hair, the matching olive green eyes. Jake could see, Wheylyn had very sculptured features, sharp cheekbones and a strong jaw line. Selena's facial features were softer, rounder and more feminine, he supposed maybe this was akin to her mother but he'd never really know.

He was pleased she'd found her father but now he was slightly concerned. She'd always said her family had been in New York, but now she would be divided, she had family in California now too. She clearly loved it there, would she leave? He'd gotten very attached to her, he wasn't sure what he'd do if she decided to live there instead.

There was a knock on the door and Councillor Omina came in.

'We're reconvening now' She said kindly

Jake stood up and looked around. Selena was anxiously clinging to her father who looked like he was supporting her weight. Emily's face was an ashen colour and she looked very nervous. Shai stayed close to Selena's side and as people filed out she stopped and waited for him. Her eyebrows slanted in a worried expression over her eyes as she watched him. He held her hand, her slender fingers fitting easily in his hand.

'I love you' He simply said

'I love you too' She replied honestly, the frightened expression relaxing slightly.

They walked together, not caring if anyone saw them holding hands. When Selena was free he'd be making sure they were an official item and then telling everyone, if she wasn't free...he didn't want to even think of that outcome.

XxXxX

I don't think I'd ever felt so ill in my life. My knees and hands were shaking, I was clammy and I felt completely dizzy. Jake was holding my hand, he guided me to my seat before going and sitting down at his own. Emily held my hand and she was picking at the skin on her lips, a habit that showed when she was anxious.

'Selena Tyler, we the Dragon Council find you innocent of any past wrong doing' Andam said with a smile.

I let out the breath I was holding. Emily broke down next to me as Wheylyn wrapped me up in a huge hug. I quickly pushed him away.

'What about the rest of my kind?' I asked

'We plan on working with you, with your father and everyone else within your network to find a solution that is best for everyone. We fully recognise and accept the old ways of dealing with any threat is wrong and needs immediate attention' The female councillor told me

'We hereby apologise to you and your family for the uprooting and separation this has caused, that we have caused. This was within all of our lifetimes and we should've been thinking of the families instead of our other people' Andam said

The white haired man didn't say anything, I didn't expect him to.

'Selena Tyler, you and your family are free to go. Wheylyn Tyler, we invite you to stay behind to draw up treaties and agreements. Of course, if you would like to leave to speak with your people first, we understand and the invitation will be extended to a later time. Before you leave, we will remove your tags' The white haired man said

I raised my eyebrows slightly. Emily grabbed my hand, she looked at me, her blue eyes full of tears.

'Come on, lets go'

I let her lead me out, I threw one last look at Jake. He smiled happily and I managed one back.

XxXxX

We were given a transportation spell, in one blink we were home. Snow leapt on me, her emotions briefly overwhelmed me. She understood enough that I was here to stay.

'Leena!'

'Nicky!'

I crashed to my knees in time for my nephew to collide with me. I wrapped my arms around the youngster, I stroked the back of his head. He pulled away from me and I looked at him.

'Don't you ever go away again Aunty Leena' He said sternly

I laughed, I couldn't help it. I pulled him into a hug again 'I won't, I promise'

XxXxX

Waking up in my own bed the next morning was bliss, Nicky climbed in next to me, prodding my side.

'Budge up' He said sleepily

As soon as he was settled, Snow climbed up too. My single bed was suddenly very crowded. Pete was here too, he finally knew about my secret. He was shocked and didn't believe it until I transformed in front of him last night. They'd been up until the early hours of the morning, talking.

Eventually I got up, carrying Nicky downstairs, I let Snow out before turning around and finding the highchair gone.

'Hey Nicky, where's your chair?' I asked

'Silly, I'm a big boy now' He replied, giggling

'Oh really, you sit in the big chairs now?' I asked

'Yeah'

I sat him in one of the chairs, quickly finding which one they'd been sitting him in. They'd used a cushion to heighten it for him. I pottered around, putting Snow's food out and pouring Nicky a bowl of cereal. I'd let Snow in and Nicky and I were eating our breakfast when Emily walked in.

'Hey, how long have you guys been up?' She asked, her voice was sleepy.

'We've been awake awhile but we've only just got up' I replied

She sat down at the table. I reached over and held her hand.

'Is everything alright?' I asked

She looked up 'Everything is fine, he's shocked obviously but he said he's always known our family was special. He wants to meet Wheylyn'

'Really?' I asked

'Who's Wheylyn?' Nicky asked

We paused, I looked at Emily and she nodded with a smile.

'Well, Wheylyn is my Daddy' I told him

'How come I've never met your Daddy?' Nicky asked with a humph.

'You know what? When Pete meets him, you can too' Emily said

'Yaay!'

I laughed again but a sharp knock at the door interrupted me. Emily and I glanced at each other.

'Stay here' I told her

I got up, my heart hammering. Snow followed me; her emotions were protective and defensive. I gripped the door handle, trembling slightly before throwing it open. Jake stood in the doorway, tired but smiling at me.

'Jake!'

I lunged forwards, throwing my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me so tightly my toes left the ground.

'Hey' He murmured in my ear

'Hey yourself' I replied

He tensed, pulling back, his dark eyes confused and shocked.

'What did you just say?' He asked

'I said hey yourself' I replied, equally as confused 'Is something wrong?'

He shook his head 'No, no. I'm fine, you just reminded me of someone briefly thats all' He looked up and down 'Have you just got out of bed?'

I looked down at myself, my black vest pyjamas top and baggy pyjama bottoms looked back up at me.

'Yeah, come inside'

I stepped aside to let him in and as he was about to step inside Snow suddenly growled. I looked at her shocked before realising the last contact she'd had with Jake was him shoving her in the kitchen.

'Snow' I said warningly before turning to Jake 'Perhaps you should apologise'

He clearly remembered and he knelt down in front of her 'I'm really sorry Snow'

He held out his hand and she looked at him warily before tentatively reaching out with her nose and touching his hand. She then turned around and walked off, nudging the kitchen door open and going inside. Nicky came out seconds later.

'Jake!'

He ran forwards and Jake held his outstretched hands.

'Hey there little guy, how have you been?'

'I'm a big boy now' He told him happily before turning around and running back into the kitchen.

Jake stood up, looking down at me in confusion. I laughed.

'He's not in his highchair anymore' I told him

'Oh right, listen, I'm gonna head home and get a few hours sleep in. Can we meet up later?' He asked

He did look tired. I understood, he probably also had a lot to go over with his own family too. I nodded.

'Just give me a text when you're ready' I told him

He kissed my forehead, hugging me again 'Thanks. See you later'

XxXxX

_So guys, we're coming to the end of the story now. The next chapter is the last one! _

_Thanks to; Major Simi, whit384, Talee, solaheartnet, angel2u, AnnaChocolate, Illuminati-4, The Queen Of Water, Arvingen, Cutie Kyuubi, Shadow the Ranger, sarakargosha, Lord Jace, Emro Dust, xdemonbunnyx and last by no means least any guests that have also reviewed. _

_Thanks for your funny, constructive and inspiring reviews, I'm very grateful. Emro Dust has their own OC American Dragon story which I seriously recommend you read._

_Thanks also to anyone who followed this and bothered to read it, even seeing the amount of hits it got is really nice._

_So, I'm up for doing a sequel if anyone is interested but I'd like to spend some time not only planning it but also revisiting some of my old stories. I completely fell in love with this story and it really dominated my other ones. If you'd like to read through those in the meantime it would be awesome! _

_So review please and let me know if you would like to see any more from Selena. _

_Thanks again, Claret Tho xx_


	21. Chapter 20 The Following Months

_So, last chapter guys. Was a little disappointed over lack of feedback last chapter as to whether anyone wanted a sequel. _

_Anyway, on with the final chapter!_

XxXxX

Two months later...

Seeing as both Jake and I had missed the last few weeks of school, our exams and graduation, I went and spent the last two months going to college to get my qualifications and got an evening job in a small bar restaurant doing waitressing and bar work. Jake threw himself into his dragon work full time. Seeing as his job was at night too it meant that we got to spend most days together with Trixie and Spud.

So you may be asking if we ever entered a relationship? We hadn't and Jake had cooled off recently and I was beginning to wonder if I should start seeing other people instead. I still loved him but I wasn't ready to wait around for him. I knew for sure he hadn't gone off with another girl.

Trixie said he was frightened of another relationship. She told me about a girl called Rose, who he had fallen for and risked his life for on several occasions. The story was heartbreaking to me, especially because she was still in Hong Kong and they'd decided a long distance like that could never allow them to have a relationship. As far as Trixie knew, they hadn't even kept contact.

Spud didn't say much, he just tended to pat me on the head. Something he had taken to doing since they both knew what I was. Neither of them had expressed any fear over it ('Purlease, Jake's a fire breathing reptile and you're worried we'll be frightened?') but they'd never seen me in my wolf form. There'd been no need for it.

It was coming up Nicky's third birthday and the house was pretty full. So full in fact, that Trixie had let me stay at her house for a few days. Emily's Dad was here, Pete was here and I was beginning to miss Wheylyn and Shai.

After the trial, Wheylyn had taken Andam and Ominar to the Sanctuary with a healer and the removal of tags had begun. Treaties were laid down and the construction of at least three new safe places had begun along with transportation spells becoming available for Lycanthropics to buy so they could get to these various places. A small team of of what I could only call Lycanthropic police were formed to keep control. Basically only the ones who didn't go to a safe area to transform would be re-detained and new tags put in place and it was up to ourselves to keep control of them.

A few Lycanthropics had been reluctant but these were only the older ones, the ones who were mistrustful of dragons and had personally experienced the hardships. The younger ones and newer ones were simply grateful that they didn't have to hide anymore and that they could begin to rebuild their lives.

Bardo had been cleared and released. Shai took him to his pack where he began a normal life. Well, as normal as a Lycanthromorphic hybrid wolf can get.

Bayard, William and Skellard had been detained and questioned. William revealed under truth spell that he'd been spying on Wheylyn for about twenty years, as long as he'd been within the Sanctuary, he'd been spying for Bayard who had leaked information into the magical community, making it hard for the dragon council to ignore my existence.

It was how they found out about me when I was young and because there'd been rumours about me when I was a baby, someone had even written a book about me. It was like a debate, supposing if I'd be more human or more dangerous. It was actually quite amusing to read, Lao Shi gave me a copy of it and it had been difficult to get hold of too.

It seemed the entire reason Bayard had wanted Lycanthropic's blood was because he wanted to study the healing properties. He'd wanted me because he'd intended to drain all my blood and therefore kill me in revenge to Wheylyn for not allowing him to study Lycanthropics when there'd been an abundance of them at his disposal. All of them were given various prison sentences.

Rorick Fey was still on the loose and he'd disappeared without any trace. A fact which frustrated Jake and his family to no end.

XxXxX

I was currently in the bathroom at Trixie's getting ready to go to work. I had my back to the mirror and I was looking over my shoulder. All up my back, originating right in the centre of my spine halfway up was a web of swirling silver tendrils from the silver bullet containing liquid silver essence which stood up slightly from the flatness of the rest of my skin which Bayard had shot me with. The marks had faded but they were still noticeable. The nature of the scar meant I would never be able to reveal my back again.

I pulled my shirt up over it and tied my hair up out of my face. I was pulling a double shift tonight which meant I wouldn't be back until morning. I'd done this twice this week and I was exhausted but it was Friday so I'd be able to have a lie in tomorrow, I hoped so anyway.

I applied some light makeup and went back into Trixie's room. She looked up at me from her bed, her black eyes flickered slightly.

'You've been looking at that thing on your back again' She accused

'No I haven't' I retorted, pulling on my plain black pumps.

'Yes you have. I know it only takes you about ten minutes to do yo dolling up' She returned 'You've been in there half an hour'

I sighed and sat on my camp bed in her room 'It's vain, I know. I've always had perfect skin, not many spots, barely a mole anywhere and only a few freckles on my face. Suddenly I'm stuck with this huge...thing on my back'

Trixie listened, she always did. She never judged either, she told me she used to be very judgemental but she'd learned to control her own opinions. Today though, she seemed intent on proving a point.

'At least it's not on your face' She pointed out 'And at least no one died'

I nodded 'I know, it seems a silly thing to think about'

'I didn't say that. It's a big thing for you to scar, you heal so well so this is something different' She acknowledged 'Jake made an interesting point the other day though. He said it looked like a tattoo'

I huffed 'I don't want to hear what Jake has to say'

'You two not getting along again?' Trixie asked

'He's not spoken to me for five days Trix, and I've texted him three times! No reply. I'm starting to think it's time to move on' I sighed

'No! Jake loves you, he just needs some time'

I was in no mood though 'But he's had three years to move on! I'm here now and I'm ready and waiting for him. He's leaving me hanging on a string and I'm fed up of being thrown scraps! Like we both haven't had enough crap to contend with without this complicating things'

She looked at me sympathetically 'I'm not sure what I can say'

'You don't have to say anything, he's your friend and I don't expect you to judge him' I looked up at the clock 'Time for me to leave. You sure you don't mind me staying tonight, I can still kip on the couch at home'

'Like you'll get any sleep with an excited three year old running around all day. No you're fine here' She smiled

I stood up, brushed myself off and picked up my work bag. As I went downstairs I passed my her grandmother.

'See you tomorrow Grandma Carter!' I called

'You behave now' She called back

'Grammy, she's working!' Trixie rolled her eyes before waving at me through the front door before closing it behind me.

XxXxX

As soon as Trixie saw Selena turn the corner to walk to the bar she worked in, she sprinted up the stairs and grabbed her phone. She sat on her bed and held it in her hand for a moment, looking at it. Selena had just said she wasn't expecting her to judge Jake but right now, it was hard not to.

Trixie knew very well that Jake really was in love with Selena, she knew that he was frightened to let her close though in case he lost her but she also knew that Selena was right; he'd had long enough to get over it now and Selena was right there in front of him.

Deciding against her better judgement that it was best not to get involved, she dialled Jake's number and put the phone to her ear. He'd told Selena he was on dragon duty tonight but Trixie knew Lao Shi usually gave him Friday nights off. The phone rang and like she guessed, Jake picked it up.

'_Wazzup Trix!_'

'Don't you 'wazzup me' and get your butt over here now! I want to talk to you' Trixie practically growled

'_What? Errm, Spud's with me though_'

'Bring him with you then, I think I'd like to see my boyfriend' She retorted

'_Is everything alright Trixie?_'

'No, everything is not alright. I'm pissed off at you and if you don't hurry up and come to my house with Spud then I'll be livid!' She hissed before cutting the phone off.

She wasn't actually as pissed off as she probably sounded on the other end of the phone line but if Jake thought she really was as angry as that he'd do what she told him. She'd found out over the years she'd known him that Jake tended to give in easily to angry girls to try and appease them.

So she sat down on her bed and waited.

XxXxX

Jake looked at his phone in surprise once he heard the line cut. He looked at Spud in shock.

'She hung up on me' Jake told him, incredulously.

'She's pretty ticked then, dude we should do as she says' Spud told him, getting up and pulling his beanie on.

Jake also got up and began lacing up his shoes 'What've I done that's got her so narked?'

'I have a feeling and I think it's to do with the way you've been avoiding Lee since you both got home' Spud replied

'What?' Jake asked, before getting annoyed himself 'That's none of her business'

'Well you're one of her best friends and she's gotten quite fond of Lee. So that's two people she cares about that she's concerned over. You know Trixie will make anything her business when it involves people she loves' Spud replied easily

Jake finished lacing up his shoes and sighed 'I just don't want her to get hurt for getting involved with me'

'She isn't involved with you at the moment' Spud handed Jake his hoodie 'And dude, she's a werewolf, you're a dragon. What're you worried about?'

They walked quickly to Trixie's and when they got there Spud just went first and opened the door.

'Hi Grandma Carter!' He called

'Hello Arthur! Trixie's upstairs'

'Thanks!'

The two boys went up the stairs and Spud pushed open Trixie's bedroom door. The normally open room was slightly crammed. There was a spare campbed set up and Jake recognised a few of Selena's belongings scattered around. Frowning in confusion, he lifted her pyjama top from its place where it had been folded on the pillow.

'Why is Selena staying here?' Jake asked

'Don't you even know?' Trixie asked incredulously

'No, I've not spoken to Selena in ages' Jake said

'I know' Trixie replied dangerously 'Do you know how confused she is?'

'I'm pretty confused' Jake retorted

'Over what?' Trixie shot back 'You love her Jake! Why are you leaving her hanging?'

Jake sat heavily on the bed, laying Selena's vest back on the pillow where he'd found it.

'Rose' He replied

Trixie sighed in exasperation 'That was three years ago Jake! Lee is here now. Are you going to let her slip away?'

Jake looked up at his friend, their equally dark eyes met. Tormented gaze met an angry glare and Jake knew she was right. Trixie usually was but this time it was hitting home.

'The thing is dude, we wouldn't get involved if it was just a one-sided crush. We couldn't force you to like her back. We're getting involved because you love her and she loves you. It's silly of you to push her away' Spud told him

'What if I lose her?' Jake asked

'You will if you continue this' Trixie replied

Jake sat there, letting their words sink in. He had to do something, and fast. He furrowed his brows in determination.

'When does she get off work?' Jake asked

'Five in the morning, she's doing a double shift tonight' Trixie replied

'I'll meet her after then' Jake told them

'Hold your horses there, she's done a double shift twice this week and then gone to college on the alternating days. She's exhausted, you're better to leave it until tomorrow afternoon when she's had some rest' Trixie replied

'We'll I'll take her to the apartment above Gramp's shop. No one lives there and she can rest in complete peace and I can talk to her and look after her, like I should've done' Jake replied

Trixie frowned 'I don't think she'll go in for that'

'Trixie!' Jake semi shouted in exasperation

'Fine! You know what? Take her stuff and see what she says, if she doesn't agree then you walk her here and don't pester her until she's ready. If she agrees than you had better send me a text message to let me know she's safe' Trixie growled

'Great!' Jake beamed

Between then, they gathered the things which Jake knew Selena usually considered essential. He left, saying he'd best get some sleep himself to be in the best condition to meet her.

XxXxX

Seven hours later I'd finished my shift. I was dead on my feet as I tidied up the bar with my co-worker Evan. He was a bit older than me, twenty two. I was only allowed to work on the bar because he was supervising me.

'So, what're you doing this weekend?' He asked

'Today; sleeping' I laughed 'It's my little brother's third birthday on Sunday so I'll be home helping my sister set it up. It's a happy occasion, I've been away for awhile recently and I'm really looking forward to some family time'

'Cool, I hope you enjoy it' He replied

'What about you?' I asked 'Don't you have some pretty girl to spend the weekend with?'

He laughed 'No, I live on my own. It can be kind of lonely sometimes but at least I get plenty of space and time to myself'

I nodded with a smile as we put the final glasses away. He helped me pull on my jacket and waved me out. I was just pulling my handbag over my shoulder when an arm reached out and grabbed me. I twisted, expecting a mugger or something bus was shocked to see Jake. I relaxed, deep breathing realising I must've been very tired to have not noticed his scent before.

'God Jake! You scared me half to death' I snapped

'Sorry, I was waiting for you' He told me

'Do you even know what time it is? What the hell are you doing here and how did you even know I would be here?' I asked

'Of course I'm aware of what time it is. I said I was waiting for you and Trixie told me' He replied

I narrowed my eyes 'Why?'

He sighed 'I've been a jerk'

I smirked 'You got that right! And why do you have my bag?'

I tried to take it off him but he held on. I couldn't be bothered to fight him, I was too tired. I stopped trying to take my bag and I looked up at him expectantly.

'You are coming to stay with me at Grandpa's apartment above his shop where you can get decent peace and quiet' Jake told me

I looked at him 'It's five in the morning, the sun is coming up. I don't want to look at anyone at this time'

'It's empty, no one lives in it' Jake told me

I paused, it was tempting. Even Trixie's house still got noisy for me. My sensitive hearing meant that even Trixie trying to be quiet was still loud, plus quiet just wasn't in that girl's vocabulary. I frowned, I wanted some proper sleep but it was having to go to that apartment that worried me. I hadn't actually been back to that shop since my skirmish with the ogre which seemed so long ago now. I decided it was worth it for some decent sleep.

'Alright' I agreed

'Great, come on' Jake said

He was way too chipper for this time in the morning. Then I realised that he'd probably been sleeping. That thought made me grumpy so I simply followed him silently. He kept looking behind him a few times before he fell into step beside me. I kept my eyes to the ground. My heart was pounding because now he was here all the things I wanted to say to him vanished.

We walked in silence, his footsteps were heavy but in my time at the Sanctuary I had learnt a lighter footstep. People around with more sensitive hearing than me often commented I had heavy footsteps. It got me thinking about things, I really should go and visit there soon and see how things were going. I had a phone call a few days ago from Wheylyn saying that the dragons were helping them develop what was already there and a huge cleanup was going on. It had been decided the original Sanctuary should be made into the best it could be while the others were constructed.

We got to the shop in what seemed like no time at all, my thoughts had taken all my concentration. I watched as Jake unlocked the door, I was hesitant still as I peered at the dark doorway. Jake watched me curiously.

'You okay?' He asked

'I haven't been back here since that ogre incident' I replied

His confused expression went to clarity. He was about to go in buy I stuck my arm out and went to the doorway. I took a few discreet inhales through my nose and I could practically feel my ears twitching at every noise but the smell of dragons was all I was getting so I took a careful step forwards. Jake let me, apparently knowing that this was the best way for me to feel more at ease. I needed to know for myself it was safe.

I made my way to the doorway into the actual shop and saw that there was a whole new door with heavier bolts, hinges and screws. I opened the door and looked into the dark shop. There was nothing there. I relaxed and Jake switched the lights on. They were bright and it took a moment to adjust. When I did, I could see they'd done some work. The floor boards were different, I realised my claws must have scratched it because I could remember I scrabbled around a bit.

'I'm sorry if I caused any damage' I said

'No, it needed doing but you didn't do much. I did worse when I was in dragon form' Jake replied

I nodded and sat down on the couch and looked at my nails. I heard him put my bag down and settled next to me on the couch.

'I think I owe you an apology' He said

'I don't get what I did' I replied

'I should be honest' He replied 'There was a girl-'

'I know about Rose' I cut him off

He looked up 'Really? Did Trixie tell you?'

'Yeah, she said I deserved the whole picture. Apparently I look like her a bit' I said bitterly

'You did at first but there's loads of differences to me now. Sometimes you do remind me of her a bit, like the way you walk, the way you stand and a couple of times you've even spoken like her' Jake told me

'Is that what's made you shy away? I'm too much like her or something?' I asked

'No! It's only a few things I've noticed but it's nothing that will put me off or anything. You're not Rose and anything else is just coincidental' Jake told me

'So what has put you off then?' I asked

Jake grimaced 'It's not that I don't want you' He paused 'I love you Selena and I do want you. I'm scared to get you involved with me and then I'll lose you'

I shook my head 'I'm stronger than I look Jake, you know that. I don't have much interest in what you do, only that you come home safe. I don't want to get involved with all that like Rose did. I'm invested in my own side of it, helping Lycanthropics get a better name for themselves'

He listened 'What I mean is I don't want someone to go for you to get at me. We know it's possible because Rorick went at me to get to you'

I sighed 'I know Jake. But you never asked me what I wanted. You never asked what I might be scared of or in this case what I'm not scared of. You're the American Dragon Jake, I'm only just starting to realise what an important part you play'

I stood up and stood in front of him, he looked up at me 'If you had asked me, I would've told you that I'm not afraid and I don't care. I have the freedom to transform and protect myself now with no backlashes. No one else should stop anything that we want between ourselves'

He stood up, he was suddenly looking down at me and I blinked, biting my lip. He was thinking, I could tell.

'You know I might need to go away sometimes?'

'I might need to as well' I replied

'And you know people will raise eyebrows, might think we shouldn't be together?'

'They don't matter to me'

He nodded, looking down before looking at me again 'And you know that I love you, right?'

I smiled 'Well, I love you back'

In a very rapid movement he closed the space, wrapped one arm around me to pull me closer and crashed his lips onto mine. I practically melted, forgetting I'd been angry at him completely. I ran my fingers through his hair and pulled him closer. He pulled the hair grip out of the end of my braid and did the same back, sweeping his hand all the way to the ends.

His kissing was careful but I could sense the need he had to be close and feel this physical connection. He tugged my jacket off before pulling his own off, not breaking off his kissing and wrapping his arms around me again. I slid one of my hands up the back of his shirt; his skin was smooth, stretched over hard muscles on his back.

He'd meanwhile undone the buttons over my shirt and slid it down over my shoulders, leaving me in my vest. I broke from the lip kissing to kiss along his jaw line. My hearing was picking up his accelerated breathing and the occasional suppressed moan. I moved to undo his shirt and he helped me. As soon as it was off our bodies crashed together again.

It felt slightly crazy, to be this taken up in this moment to forget the sun was now up and I needed to sleep but I knew I had to stop it and get some rest. I stopped kissing him.

'Jake-'

'I know' He panted, right in my ear.

We stood, our arms wrapped around one another. He was warm, warmth I'd missed. He pulled away and picked up my bag, taking my hand and leading me up the stairs. I smiled to myself, suddenly I felt extremely happy and like everything was right.

XxXxX

_So guys thats it! Review please? _


	22. BONUS! A Teaser

_So, I thought I'd give you a very small sneaky peek at the sequel. It is very small but I think it's punchy. Review me any ideas and requests or where you think this might be going. I'll be happy to discuss and maybe even drop a few hints XD _

XxXxX

'This situation is getting out of hand; you need to let me contact him!' A young female voice said

'She's right. The longer we leave this, the more damage will be done' A male spoke

The two younger people stood in front of an older male. He sat looking at them both thoughtfully. He looked up at the young female.

'And you think you can get him to help?'

'I used to know him very well, I'll think of something' She replied

'And what of his Lycanthromorphic girlfriend, we need her too' He reminded her.

'Like I said' The young female took a step forwards into the light. She was tall, well toned but slender. Her hair was pale blonde, tied back in a braid and her eyes were bright baby blue 'I'm sure I'll think of something'

'I hope you're right, we'll need all the help we can get' The older male replied 'Go, go to New York and find the American Dragon'

Rose gave a short nod 'I'll start right away'


	23. Notice

Just to let you all know the sequel is now up! You can find it by going to my profile. It's called 'The Dragon, the Wolf and the Hunter' Review it as well please!


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